President Trump’s Vatican envoy delivered a special birthday gift to Pope Leo XIV ahead of the pontiff’s 70th celebration on Sunday.
Brian Burch brought a cake from Portillo’s, a popular Chicago food chain, to commemorate the U.S.-born pope’s first birthday as head of the Catholic Church, according to Reuters.
Burch told the pope, “Portillo’s sent it to you,” in a video detailing their interaction. Leo responded: “And you brought it.”
Burch was previously known for his outspoken criticism of the late Pope Francis, who widely welcomed the LGBTQ+ community into the church.
However, despite past remarks railing against the former Catholic leader, Burch told the public he would use his new role to mend a bond between Americans and religious heads in Vatican City.
“The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance,” Burch said in a statement Aug. 2.
“I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the Trump administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good.”
