Tag Archives: Vatican City

Ambassador-Designate Callista Gingrich Assumes Charge at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See

November 7, 2017 By in Ambassadors, EUR|Europe, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

Posted: 1:19 am ET
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Senate Confirms Callista Gingrich as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

October 17, 2017 By in Ambassadors, Confirmations, EUR|Europe, Media, Political Appointees, Politics, Realities of the FS, Social Media, Spouses, State Department, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

Posted: 1:53 am ET
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For a short while on Monday, Callista Gingrich was trending on Twitter. It turned out that the U.S. Senate finally voted on her nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. She got the nod in a 70-23 vote. Was there ever any doubt that the U.S. Senate would not confirm the spouse of the former Speaker of the House?

Of course, Twitter blew up when news of her nomination came out, also when she was actually nominated, and when she had her confirmation hearing, and Monday was no different when the Senate finally confirmed her. Given the notoriety of these lovebirds, we suspect that news will follow wherever Ambassador Gingrich and Newt, her husband and former Speaker of the House go. Except now, the Klieg lights will be more intense as she speaks for the United States Government in the Holy See, and as Newt tags along.

Instead of a search result returning “spouse of a U.S. politician”, her Wikipedia page has been updated on the date of her Senate confirmation to indicate that she is the United States Ambassador to the Holy See (Designate), with taking office still marked “TBD.” We can totally understand a woman reinventing herself. She could have asked for any other job in this administration, but she picked a diplomatic post. From now on, she will be known as Ambassador Gingrich, and not just Newt’s third wife. 

Of course, her nomination will be accepted there. Diplomatic courtesy requires that before the United States appoints a new chief of diplomatic mission to represent it in another state, it must be first ascertained whether the proposed appointee –in this case, Mrs. Gingrich — is acceptable to the receiving state, the Holy See. The acquiescence of the Vatican is signified by its granting agrément to the appointment. Her nomination would not have been made public had the Vatican did not find her nomination acceptable. It is unusual for an agrément to be refused, but it occasionally happens, as in the case of the French Ambassador nominee who was reportedly rejected because he was gay.

YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS BACK? The sharp tongued- Princess Sparkle Pony is on Twitter.

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Trump Expected to Nominate Callista Gingrich as the Next Ambassador to the Holy See (Updated)

May 18, 2017 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, Trump Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted: 2:50 am ET
Updated: June 22, 2017
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On May 19, President Trump officially announced his intent to nominate Callista Gingrich, the  to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy. The WH released the following brief bio:

Callista L. Gingrich of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Holy See. Ms. Gingrich has been the President and CEO of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production and consulting company in Arlington, Virginia, since 2007. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling “Ellis the Elephant” children’s series and co-author of “Rediscovering God in America.” Ms. Gingrich also produces and hosts historical and public policy documentary films. She served as a congressional aide in the U.S. House of Representatives and is President of The Gingrich Foundation, which supports charitable causes. Ms. Gingrich has sung for two decades with the Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. She earned a BA cum laude from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

According to history.state.gov, the United States maintained a presence in Rome throughout the nineteenth century. The United States at different times had a Minister to the Papal States, Minister to the Pontifical States, and finally, a Minister to Rome from 1848 until Kingdom of Italy conquered Rome in 1870. Throughout much of the twentieth century, successive U.S. Presidents sent a Personal Representative to the Holy See, the diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope with its headquarters in Vatican City.

The United States and the Holy See established diplomatic relations by agreement between President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II on January 10, 1984, when William A. Wilson presented his credentials to the Pope, elevating his position from Personal Representative of the President to U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Callista Gingrich, the wife of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is widely reported as the expected nominee to be the next ambassador to the Vatican. No official announcement has been made as of this writing. President Trump is scheduled to leave this week for his first trip overseas with stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel, The Vatican, Belgium, and Italy (May 26-27) for the 43rd G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily.

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Photo of the Day: Secretary Kerry Tours the Vatican

January 14, 2014 By in John F. Kerry, Photo of the Day, Secretary of State, Social Media, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

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Vatican Chief of Protocol Monsignor Jose Bettancourt gives U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a tour of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City during a visit to Rome, Italy, on January 14, 2014. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Vatican Chief of Protocol Monsignor Jose Bettancourt gives U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a tour of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City during a visit to Rome, Italy, on January 14, 2014. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

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