Pope Leo XIV on Saturday morning received Brian Burch, the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace for the formal presentation of his letters of credence.

According to a U.S. Embassy statement, the two men discussed the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as “protecting religious freedom, the Vatican’s relationship with China, and the AI revolution.”

Regarding this week’s assassination of the conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, “Pope Leo underscored that our political differences can never be resolved with violence and told Ambassador Burch that he was praying for the widow of Mr. Kirk and his children,” the embassy said.

The ambassador also presented the Pope, who turns 70 on Sunday, with a personalized birthday cake (his favorite, from Portillo’s, a Chicago chain restaurant).

A native of Phoenix, Burch is married and the father of nine children. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas in 1997 and began his career in business before moving into Catholic nonprofit leadership. From 2005 until his confirmation this year, he was president of CatholicVote Civic Action and the CatholicVote Education Fund, organizations dedicated to promoting Catholic engagement in public life.

During his time with CatholicVote, Burch became a nationally recognized figure in Catholic political advocacy, encouraging American Catholics to participate in the democratic process and to defend religious liberty and the sanctity of life. CatholicVote’s new president, Kelsey Reinhardt, said in August that the group “joyfully celebrates” his confirmation, praising his 17 years of leadership.

Burch emphasized the enduring importance of the U.S.-Holy See relationship, describing it as “one of the most unique in the world” and highlighting the Catholic Church’s “global reach and moral witness” as vital to America’s diplomatic mission to promote peace, human dignity, and prosperity.

On the occasion of his confirmation, Burch noted a point of personal significance for him in his new role. “In a remarkable coincidence, or what I prefer to attribute to Providence, Pope Leo XIV is from Chicago, which is also my hometown,” he said.

After meeting the Pope on Saturday, the embassy said, “Ambassador Burch described the meeting as extraordinarily friendly, like talking to a friend back home in Chicago.”