More than 20 Democrats joined Republicans Monday to confirm Callista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, as the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
The Senate voted to confirm Gingrich, 70 to 23, with Democrats throwing in support despite her husband Newt’s public support of President Donald Trump and fears over what sort of environmental policy she might advocate, according to the Associated Press. Gingrich served as chief clerk for the House Committee on Agriculture until 2007, aided Newt in his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, and is currently the president of both the charitable Gingrich Foundation and of Gingrich Productions, which produced a documentary about Pope John Paul II called “Nine Days That Changed The World.”
Gingrich not only assured Democrats in her July 18 confirmation hearing that Trump still intended to make the U.S. an environmental leader, but also pledged to fight human trafficking and defend religious freedom and human rights, according to Catholic News Agency. Gingrich is a practicing Catholic and a long time member of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’s choir in Washington, D.C. Gingrich married Newt in 2000, becoming his third wife, after a six year affair. Newt, however, credits her with his conversion to Catholicism and said she “created an environment where I could gradually think and evolve on the issue of faith.”
Gingrich replaces Ken Hackett, who served during Obama’s second term in office and is the former head of Catholic Relief Services. Hackett told CNA in January the Trump administration would have areas of dispute with the Vatican, most probably those of immigration and approach to environmental issues. Hackett did note, however, that the administration would likely collaborate with the Vatican on the issues of human trafficking, the crisis in Venezuela, and working toward solutions to conflicts in the Middle East.
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