Former Senator Joe Donnelly has been confirmed by the US Senate to be the new ambassador to the Holy See.

Donnelly, an Indiana Democrat, had a mixed voting record on pro-life issues; in 2013 he voted in favor of legal recognition for same-sex marriage.

Donnelly will be the 12th American ambassador since the formal diplomatic relations between the US and the Holy See were established in 1984. He will succeed Callista Gingrich, who served from 2017 through 2021.