Biden to nominate former senator as ambassador to the Vatican

President Joe Biden will nominate former senator Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the White House announced Friday.

Donnelly served two terms in the Senate, from 2013 to 2019, and before that he represented Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in the House from 2007 to 2013.

Like Biden, Donnelly is a devout Irish Catholic, and last year he penned an op-ed for the Indianapolis Star defending Biden’s faith after President Donald Trump called it into question during the campaign. Donnelly said he and Biden shared a preference to live out their faiths by helping people in private rather “than make a big show in public about our religion.”

“Donald Trump makes things up all the time, and his comments on Joe Biden’s religious life are at best nonsensical,” Donnelly wrote. “This Sunday, Joe Biden as usual will be on his knees in Church praying for our nation, our people, and those who are most at risk. I and others around our country will be praying for Joe Biden and for God to give him the wisdom needed for the task ahead.”

Along with Biden’s intent to nominate Donnelly as ambassador to the Vatican, the White House also announced Friday several other forthcoming nominations: Mari Carmen Aponte as ambassador to Panama; Douglas Hickey for ambassador to Finland; George Tsunis as ambassador to Greece; and Bruce Turner as U.S. Representative to the United Nations’s Conference on Disarmament, with the rank of ambassador during his tenure of service.