ROME — European nobility and political figures gathered in the opulent gardens of Palazzo Brancaccio for the inaugural “America Week Ball,” a lavish event that underscored the growing alliance between conservative Catholic leaders in the United States and Europe. As spritz cocktails flowed by a grand fountain and guests dined on beef cheek and orange potato velouté, the evening blended aristocratic grandeur with ideological purpose.
Among the attendees was Brian Burch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, seated at the head table beside German aristocrat Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and members of far-right European political parties. Italian MP Antonio Giordano, of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, welcomed hundreds of guests by affirming their shared commitment to defending traditional family values amid Europe’s demographic decline.
“We can only effectively conquer the demographic winter together,” Giordano stated, calling for coordinated pro-natalist policies.
Though the Catholic Church remained officially in mourning following the death of Pope Francis, events associated with “America Week” — a high-level fundraising initiative for Catholic projects — proceeded largely as planned. Some interpreted the overlap as providential timing. The annual series of elite gatherings is organized by conservative Catholic institutions advocating for traditional views on marriage, family, and faith.
Originating with the Papal Foundation — a U.S.-based organization funding Vatican projects through multimillion-dollar donations — America Week has increasingly drawn leaders looking to replicate the U.S. model of conservative Catholic influence across Europe. This year’s events emphasized not only philanthropy but also the strategic expansion of lay-led Catholic institutions aligned with conservative ideology.
As cardinals deliberated over Pope Francis’ successor behind Vatican walls, conservative activists and donors gathered at exclusive venues across Rome. Dinners, conferences, and pilgrimages became arenas for networking, prayer, and planning for the Church’s future direction.
Mark Randall, executive director of the Pontifical North American College, noted, “The Europeans want to learn about philanthropy — how we raise money, identify worthy causes, and build effective organizations.”
The America Week Ball, hosted by the newly established Louis IX Foundation — co-founded by Burch and named after the 13th-century crusading French monarch — exemplified this convergence. The foundation seeks to revive and promote Christian civilization, much as King Louis IX did during the Crusades.
Events included a business conference hosted by the free-market-oriented Acton Institute, a rooftop dinner by Catholic broadcaster EWTN, and a private Jubilee Year pilgrimage led by the NAPA Institute, which culminated in a garden dinner with Cardinal James Harvey. The Jubilee, a holy year traditionally marked by pilgrimages and indulgences, added a spiritual dimension to the gatherings.
NAPA Institute president Tim Busch emphasized the importance of lay action in defending Catholic doctrine. Responding to Pope Francis’ openness to blessing same-sex couples, Busch said, “If the pope or anyone crosses the line with the magisterium, you have to push back… You can’t take over the Church hierarchy, but you can hold the line.”
Busch, along with other American conservatives, privately met with cardinals during their downtime. Some voiced support for Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary as a papal candidate, citing his theological clarity and backing from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The America Week events drew a constellation of figures from the global populist right. Attendees included Steve Cortes, a former Trump adviser, and Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, a member of Spain’s Vox party. Austrian Catholic convert Alexander Tschugguel, known for discarding indigenous Amazonian statues from a Vatican chapel in 2019, was also present.
In addition to social events, strategic networking occurred behind the scenes. After the ball, some continued waltzing under chandeliers, while others convened for cigars, cocktails, or late-night adoration at Chiesa di San Gioacchino.
The evening prior, guests attended a three-course dinner reception at the Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá, backed by Irish businessman Declan Ganley, a major anti-abortion advocate. One emerging group with significant presence was the French Riviera Institute, founded by Msgr. Dominique Rey, which aims to build a network of Christian leaders across Europe ahead of Christianity’s 2,000th anniversary in 2033.
Inspired by the NAPA Institute’s success in the U.S., similar groups are forming in Europe and Mexico. Burch himself attended a strategic meeting in Monaco months prior to discuss transatlantic cooperation among Catholic political organizations.
Though not yet confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Burch attended America Week in a private capacity. At his confirmation hearing, he assured lawmakers he understood the difference between diplomacy and activism. Nonetheless, his nomination symbolizes a potential new chapter in conservative Catholic influence at the Vatican.
“Once he is confirmed, he will be a major player in future balls and beyond,” said Randall. “He represents the rising strength of American conservative Catholicism in a post-Francis Church.”
