Callista Gingrich's Vatican ambassadorship is reportedly held up in the government ethics office

(Image credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

President Trump has decided to nominate Callista Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, and hopes to make the announcement before Trump meets with Pope Francis on May 24, CNN and The New York Times report. Newt Gingrich said in January that his wife was "under consideration" for the Holy See ambassadorship, but once Trump decided, "the announcement has taken longer than expected pending approval from the Office of Government Ethics," CNN says, citing "an administration official."

Over recent months, The New York Times adds, "Gingrich and her husband grew increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the vetting process, and Ms. Gingrich even threatened to take her name out of the running." She wasn't Trump's first top candidate — former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) reportedly took himself out of consideration, saying that taking the job would cause too much financial strain on his family.

Callista Gingrich, who is Catholic and sings in the choir at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, is Newt Gingrich's third wife; she helped convert him to Catholicism in 2009.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.