European aristocrats and politicians have arrived at the gardens of Palazzo Blancaccio in gowns and tuxedos, ready for aperitibi, along with Catholic powerbrokers and American pilgrims.
The spritz by the magnificent fountain proceeded to the appetizers inside the palace, with the beef cheeks cooked at a low temperature and served with orange potato berte.
President Trump's Holy Faction Ambassador Brian Burch ate at the head table next to Princess Gloria von Ann Ann Taxi, a German nobleman who became friends with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. One of them, Antonio Giordano, a member of the Italian parliament of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, welcomed hundreds of guests to Rome and discussed the “urgency to protect families.”
“Together, we can effectively conquer the demographic winter,” he said.
After dessert, guests followed the sounds of live music up the marble stairs, followed by a salon lined with tapestries and illuminated with chandeliers. My eyes leapt into the vast Hall of Mirrors designed in honor of Versailles. The golden ballroom had walls stretched to 45 feet.
And they waltzed.
After all, it was the first ever “American Week Ball.”
Officially, the Catholic Church was in mourning for nine days following Pope Francis' funeral. However, it also happened in Rome that it was called “America Week” by chance of previous scheduling, or as some organizers believe, by divine providence.
America Week, the annual Elite Funding Week for Catholic Projects, is led primarily by a unified, influential, conservative Catholic organization in its commitment to advance traditional principles about marriage, faith and family.
It began in connection with The Papal Foundation, a US-based charity that raises millions of dollars for Vatican projects through donations starting with seven-person figures.
However, this year, many participants are hoping to come to Rome to raise funds for new groups and in Europe, conservative Catholics have managed to expand their political and cultural influences in the United States.
The Cardinals spend their days in the Vatican meeting rooms, thinking who should be the next Pope. Hundreds of American Catholics and European allies mixed in private glass like balls and made exclusive pilgrimages of some of the finest palaces, hotels and churches in Rome.
No matter what happens in the Conclave, these politically engaged American conservatives are investing in long-term plans to expand their networks and institutions and shape the future of the Church.
“Europeans want to learn about philanthropy and what we do, how we support groups, how we raise funds, how we define valuable apostolicism, and what we don't.”
The ball was one of new attempts to bring all these players together to build and build friendships. This was sponsored by the newly created organization, the Louis IX Foundation. It was founded by a trio of Americans, including Mr. Burch. It was named after the 13th century French king and leader of the seventh Crusade.
“He is a great reformer and restoration of the faith who is a supporter of many good things, as we are trying to do, and who helped launch the group,” said Randall.
Some American Week events were cancelled due to Francis' death, and several church leaders rejected the invitation, citing the period of lament. Others went on, especially as they had led to the year of Jubilee, a rare Catholic tradition where sin was forgiven.
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Freedom, a policy group that supports free market economics, held a meeting for entrepreneurs. EWTN, the world's largest Catholic press, held a dinner on the roof of Waldorf Astoria. The film producer spoke with the philanthropist about a potential project.
The Napa Institute, a conservative Catholic network, led Jubilee's yearly pilgrimage, “a lifetime at one time.” There, guests stayed at Hotel de Rossie and had a private dinner with Cardinal James Harvey in the garden outside his residence to honor his 50 years as a priest. Cardinal Harvey is one of the 10 American Cardinals who voted to elect the next Pope.
Francis' Pope created a sense of urgency among many conservative American Catholics who believed progressive values ​​undermined the doctrine of the Church, and encouraged efforts to strengthen the organization to defend the faith of the congregation. They were particularly concerned about Francis' decision to allow the priest to celebrate the couple in same-sex relationships.
“If the Pope or someone crosses the line with the magician, you have to push back,” said Napa Institute President Tim Bush. “You can't take over hierarchical control of the church, but you can be honest and hold the line to the magician.”
Pope Francis said, “I walked up the red line, but I didn't go beyond it.”
Some of the Americans held personal meetings with the Cards when they were in Rome when the Cards broke from a pre-meeting meeting. Among America's major conservatives, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Eld considers it a favorable choice for the next Pope. He is also supported by Hungarian President Victor Orban and was supported by Australian Cardinal George Pell, who passed away in 2023.
“He's what we need right now,” Bush said. “We need someone who can teach clearly and be strong.”
This event brings together some of the most outspoken defenders of traditionalist Catholic and right-wing politics in both the US and Europe, reflecting the growth of the Ascendant populist alliance, energised by Christian enthusiasm.
Ball had Americans like Steve Cortez, a former Trump campaign adviser who works in the Catholic polls, and Europeans like Margarita de la Pisa Carrion, a member of the Spanish European Parliament of the fierce political party VOX.
One of the young male waltz was Alexander Thughel, a Catholic convert from Austria who became a conservative hero when he stole a statue of Pachamama welcomed by Pope Francis during a meeting with Amazon leaders in 2019. Enraged by what he and other conservatives deemed idolatry, Mr. Tschugguel traveled to Rome, taking statues from the chapel at dawn and threw them into the Tybar River. (Pope Francis apologized for the incident and the statue was recovered.)
This week's combination of dedication, activity, money and social work has created particularly strong connections, turning to a vast global reach in the long run. After the bowl, while some attendees remained in the waltz, others made strategies and flirted over cigars and cocktails, and went to nighttime Eucharist at Chiesa di San Gioacchino in the Prati district.
On the eve of the bowl, another group held a three-course dinner reception at Villa Aglipina Gran Melia, a luxury hotel with panoramic views in Rome. The main funder for both the dinner and the bowl was Irish businessman and well-known anti-abortion activist Declan Gunley.
One of the influential emerging groups present at dinner was the French Riviera Institute, which was started by MSGR. Dominiclay is a hero of many traditionalist Catholics and a French bishop who resigned as bishop at the request of the Vatican last year.
The group's goal is to “amplify and strengthen Christian renewal across Europe” a network of influential European leaders in all regions of society, hoping to make great progress by the 2000th anniversary of Christ's resurrection in 2033. A similar group has begun in Mexico.
Their hope is to repeat the success of the Napa Institute, which has become a force of conservative Catholic political and cultural influence in the United States.
A month before the US presidential election, Burch went to Monaco for an invitation-only meeting for entrepreneurs and leaders. He is the co-founder of Catholic Voting, a conservative Catholic organization that mobilized Trump's voters in 2024.
Before boarding a flight to Europe last fall, he said in an interview that populism rose in Europe, that the rally united like-minded Catholic voting groups that he imagined as “imagine a star lined up between European politics and us.” He hinted at it He hoped to involve the planned ball in Rome, and the future Vice President JD Vance.
Mr. Burch has not yet been confirmed by the Senate. According to the event organizers, he was already scheduled to attend America before being nominated, and attended the event as a pilgrim and civilian, not as an official abilities. At his confirmation hearing, he assures the committee that “I fully understand the distinction between advocacy and diplomacy.”
Still, his pending ambassador is a symbol of the rise in strength of conservative American Catholicism in the post-Francis era. .
“Obviously, once he's cleared, he'll become the main player of the ball next year and move forward as ambassador,” Randall said.
