As the College of Cardinals prepares to select a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the streets and salons of Rome have filled not only with religious leaders, but with a powerful and wealthy cohort of American Catholic donors.
According to a detailed report from The Times UK, more than 120 American Catholic philanthropists and business leaders gathered last week at the Ritz Ballroom of the St Regis Hotel in Rome for a reception hosted by the Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based Catholic charity with strong ties to the Vatican. The event, featuring Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, came amid what Vatican insiders refer to as “America Week” — a yearly influx of U.S. donations and influence during the post-Easter Novemdiales mourning period.
Cardinal Dolan, a charismatic and conservative-leaning figure, delivered opening remarks that nodded to the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel and the gravity of the impending conclave. His appearance came just a day after former President Donald Trump jokingly endorsed Dolan as a papal candidate, an idea considered highly improbable given the current ideological makeup of the College of Cardinals — 80% of whom were appointed by the more progressive Pope Francis.
Despite their limited formal role in the conclave itself, conservative American Catholics have become a growing presence in Rome’s ecclesiastical ecosystem. The Times UK reports that these donors, many affiliated with the Papal Foundation, are pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in new support for the Church. One attendee claimed the group could “raise a billion” — but notably added, “so long as we have the right pope.”
With the Vatican currently facing an annual operational deficit of over $90 million and a looming pension crisis, the financial support from U.S. benefactors is increasingly essential. The Papal Foundation alone has donated over $250 million since its founding and has plans to expand its giving to $30 million annually, while raising an additional $750 million in the future.
But this surge of philanthropy raises questions about the influence such donors might wield in shaping the future direction of the Church — particularly as internal divisions deepen. The conclave’s real lobbying, sources tell The Times UK, occurs not behind locked doors, but in pre-conclave dinners, receptions, and informal gatherings held in upscale Roman restaurants and private salons.
Notable conservative voices like Cardinals Raymond Burke and Gerhard Müller have been hosting their own gatherings and receiving a “constant stream of visitors.” Meanwhile, American influencers such as George Weigel and Tim Busch are actively networking among clergy and Vatican insiders. Busch, known for his Napa Institute and ties to the Trump-aligned Catholic right, has even hosted bipartisan Catholic dinners in New York to try to unify factions within the American Church.
This American presence, while not overtly coercive, is unmistakably strategic. As one Vatican analyst told The Times UK, “This is honestly more important than the conclave itself.” Indeed, the gatherings of cardinals at restaurants like Camponeschi or Bar Penitenzieri — where policy is whispered over €32 plates of linguine — are setting the tone for the succession.
Still, many Vatican insiders are wary of what they see as growing U.S. involvement. A new Vatican benefactor fund — separate from the Papal Foundation — has reportedly been set up in America to address the Church’s ballooning financial needs. Some within the Roman Curia are said to resent what they view as soft attempts at influence, particularly from Trump-aligned groups like CatholicVote and its leader, Brian Burch, Trump’s proposed ambassador to the Holy See.
As speculation swirls around potential candidates, from the Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo to longstanding conservative figures like Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, the ideological tug-of-war between Francis-style liberalism and U.S.-backed conservatism looms large.
Whether or not the conclave ultimately produces a pope sympathetic to American conservatism, one thing is clear: U.S. dollars are now a permanent — and potent — fixture in the Vatican’s political and spiritual landscape.
As the faithful around the world wait for the white smoke, Rome continues to buzz — with prayer, power, and promises of philanthropy.
