All the Ambassador’s Men

William Cash | 8th May 2025 | Diplomacy, Embassy News, Magazine, Politics
View,Of,St.,Peter's,Basilica,In,The,Vatican,City,In

Trump’s Catholic allies are exerting growing influence in Rome as a new conclave approaches. Backed by wealthy donors and political operatives, they are campaigning for a more traditional pope. Central figures include Brian Burch and Steve Cortes, who see Trump’s return as key to reshaping US–Vatican relations and global Catholic leadership.

William Cash reports from Rome on how American conservative Catholics are trying to win souls and influence the Vatican

A rumour is circulating in the Italian press that although there is little chance of an American pope, there is a good chance that if Italy’s Cardinal Parolin—Francis’s Secretary of State—is elected, we may, for the first time, see an American Cardinal appointed as Secretary of State. I have no idea who this might be, but members of Trump’s Catholic circle will be praying over the next 78 hours that it could be the charismatic Cardinal Dolan of New York. He has been acting as a bridge-builder in Rome over the past week, bringing under his wing inexperienced rookie Cardinals—say, from Africa, who hold 18 votes—and educating them in the complex arts of Conclave voting.

On the other hand, a more likely candidate may be 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has served as head of the Vatican’s ultra-powerful Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis for the past two years. That made him the man who advised Francis on global episcopal appointments which, as John Allen Jr wrote in Crux, is a “great way to make friends in the Catholic hierarchy”.

Whether we see an American Secretary of State for the first time or not, the fact that President Trump and his Catholic First Lady attended the funeral of Pope Francis signalled how religion has returned to the …

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



If Burnham wants growth, he must start by backing AI and Tech founders and risk-takers, says Liam Houghton

Mace | July 23, 2026

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to make Britain the best place to start and scale a business, argues CEO Liam Houghton.

The continuing political Whydunnit of the murder of Ann Widdecombe

Mace Magazine | July 23, 2026

The strangely guilty way that the media, and some politicians have reacted to Widdecombe’s shocking death shows the double standards that can operate when a politician of the

The King of the North Takes Downing Street: Burnham’s Great Purge

Mace Magazine | July 21, 2026

The ruthlessness of Andy Burnham’s purge has taken the country back to Macmillan's Night of the Long Knives. Media reaction has been predictably partisan, with the choice of

Reform’s international policy: Farage looking to balance ideals with new foreign policy advisor

Jonathan Singh | July 16, 2026

To date, Reform is yet to appoint a foreign affairs spokesperson. Jonathan Singh looks at Reform's new approach to international affairs with the appointment of Dr Alan Mendoza

Ann Widdecombe Devon hamlet murder mystery continues as tributes make her a political saint

William Cash | July 16, 2026

The death of Ann Widdecombe raises serious questions about the security of high-profile politicians. The shocking episode seems out of Midsomer Murders with the former Tory minister being turned into

Kemi is right to lift the white, Oxbridge fatwa and purge the Conservative party of non-Tories

William Cash | July 10, 2026

Overhauling the Tory candidates list is a shrewd political move which will allow her to put her own stamp on the party, and more importantly, shape its future,

Communication: The real engine of Burnhamism  

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | July 9, 2026

Before he has even begun, Burnham has incisively communicated his plan for the country. As MPs are scrambling for positions in cabinet, his comms team are assembling. 

Farage’s bombshell resignation: Strategy or hubris? 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | July 7, 2026

Farage says ‘the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions’, but is this his most reckless move yet?  

UK’s £4.7 billion Defence black hole: Dan Jarvis is inheriting a defence settlement Britain can no longer afford

Mace Magazine | July 1, 2026

Britain cannot afford to fall behind its NATO allies on defence spending, writes Jasset Harlech.

Flint lobbyist James Purnell set to become Burnham’s chief of staff, causing unease in some Labour ranks

Mace Magazine | June 26, 2026

Flint Global CEO James Purnell's expected appointment as Andy Burnham's chief of staff is just the latest Westminster merry-go-round job move from Public Affairs back into Downing Street.