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List of ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ambassador of the United States to the Holy See is the official representative of the United States of America to the Holy See, the leadership of the Catholic Church. The official representation began with the formal opening of diplomatic relations with the Holy See by President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II in 1984.[1]
Ambassador of the United States to the Holy See | |
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Apostolicae Sedis Legatus Civitatum Foederatarum | |
![]() Seal of the United States Department of State | |
Incumbent since July 8, 2024Laura Hochla Chargé d'Affairs ad interim | |
Nominator | The President of the United States |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Inaugural holder | William A. Wilson as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
Formation | April 9, 1984 |
Website | va |
Before the establishment of formal diplomatic relations, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Postmaster General James Farley was the first high-ranking government official to normalize relations with the Holy See in 1933.[2] In addition, Myron Taylor would serve during World War II as an emissary for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S. Truman's pick of World War II hero Mark W. Clark was defeated.
Between 1951 and 1968, the United States had no official representative accredited to the Holy See. President Richard Nixon changed this when he appointed Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. as his personal representative. President Jimmy Carter followed with the appointment of former New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. Every ambassador to date has been a member of the Roman Catholic Church. The most recent ambassador was Joe Donnelly, who presented his credentials to Pope Francis on April 11, 2022.[3]