Former U.S. senator from Indiana Joe Donnelly will step down as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and return to his home state, two years after taking on the role.
The U.S. embassy to the Vatican announced on Thursday via social media platform X that Donnelly will leave his position on July 8, without specifying the reason for his departure.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served my country in this unique capacity,” Donnelly said in the embassy’s statement.
Law enforcement gathers on Franklin Avenue (Via Harley Simmons/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden appointed Donnelly for the ambassadorship in 2021, and he was confirmed to represent the United States at the Holy See in 2022.
Before his ambassadorial role, Donnelly, a Democrat, served six years in the U.S. House representing a district around South Bend, Indiana. He later served as a senator from 2013 to 2019, losing his bid for reelection in 2018 to Republican Mike Braun.
