Pope Francis Receives the New US Ambassador to the Holy See HE Joseph Simon Donnelly at the Vatican - VIDEO

On Monday, April 11th, 2022, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience HE Joseph Simon Donnelly, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.

Vatican News explained that the Ambassador’s main task will be to liaise between the Holy See and the U.S. Government. These diplomatic relations were established between Pope St. John Paul II and U.S. President Ronald Reagan on 10 January, 1984. Ambassador Donnelly was appointed to serve as the 12th U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See on 24 January and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2022.

Ambassador Donnelly released a statement which said, “My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith, and through my years of public service, the Church has been a core part of my life and my values.” Ambassador Donnelly, the statement continued, "looks forward to strengthening the important and strategic relationship between the Holy See and the United States, especially our shared commitments to defending human rights and religious freedom, combatting human trafficking, caring for the environment, and advancing peace and security around the globe." The Ambassador is joined in Rome by his wife Jill, and "they hope to enjoy many visits from their two children and new grandchild," the statement added.

The Credential Letters of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See, 11.04.2022

Here are the essential biographical notes of the new ambassador:

HE Mr. Joseph Simon Donnelly,

Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See

He was born on September 29, 1955, in Flushing, New York.

He is married and has two children.

He graduated in Law from the University of Notre Dame in 1981.

He has held the following positions: Lawyer in various law firms and various positions in various private companies (1977 - 2007); Member of the US House of Representatives (2007 - 2013); United States Senate Senator (2013 - 2019); Professor at the University of Notre Dame (2019 - 2022).

Sources: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/04/11/0258/00544.html and Vatican News with Screenshot