Callista Gingrich‘s confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was Tuesday afternoon. As expected by many, myself included, Gingrich did beautifully. She was able to articulate the administration’s positions on tough issues such as climate change and immigration as well as lay out her concerns about and desire to make a priority issue of human trafficking.
Her opening statement introduced those who may not be familiar with her to a background that makes her more than qualified to be the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Highlighting the two Catholic-centered films that she produced, Nine Days that Changed the World and Divine Mercy: The Canonization of John Paul II, and her extensive commitment to the Catholic church, Gingrich knocked it out of the park.
I wanted to see what others thought, so I eagerly clicked on various stories that came up on my Google news and checked my twitter feed.
Mistake.
I couldn’t help but find myself perplexed and disappointed to find story after story and tweet after tweet highlighting the fact that her marriage started as an extramarital affair. More than that people felt that this should define her and her life and disqualify her from serving our nation. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Who better to represent our nation as the ambassador to the Holy See than someone who’s life and convictions have been tested by fire and who has kept the faith serving her church and her community throughout her life.
Callista is extremely qualified to be the US ambassador to The Vatican. She and Newt have done a lot for Catholicism and Catholics in America and I’m proud to be a Catholic woman who supports her.
The circumstances of her and Newt’s relationship is between her, him and God. Being Catholic, it’s safe to assume she’s been to reconciliation and has received her penance for the way things started but that’s not my business or yours and it’s certainly not the business of those who are attempting to shame or bully her.
I’m proud of Callista for accepting Trump’s nomination. In this day and age where internet trolls feel empowered to hide behind their computers calling people names and passing judgement Callista had to know that there would be those who tried to define her by the way her relationship to her husband of 17 years began. Today, she stood her ground demonstrated that she is qualified and that she won’t let a decades old personal choice define her. I hope the full body of the U.S. Senate confirms her and I’m excited to see her in action.
Just in case you’re not familiar with her here are some facts you may not know about Callista:
- Her nickname, as well as her twitter handle is Cally. @CallyGingrich.
- She is the author of the patriotic children’s book series “Ellis the Elephant,” in which, an elephant protagonist “learns about the pivotal moments that have shaped our nation.
” She also co-wrote a book called “Rediscovering God In America.” - Worked as the Chief Clerk for the House Agriculture Committee from 1995 to 2007. Her IMDB notes that, “During her tenure the Agriculture Committee held hearings on a wide range of issues including biotechnology, bioterrorism, conservation, forest management, nutrition, rural development, trade and welfare reform.”
- Is the President of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production company with her husband Newt. The company has produced films, featuring the Gingriches, including: A City Upon a Hill, America at Risk, Nine Days that Changed the World a documentary about Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny, Rediscovering God in America, Rediscovering God in America II: Our Heritage, and We Have the Power.
- She is a member of the choir at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and has been for 20 years.
- She is a lifelong Catholic and assisted in her husband’s conversion as his sponsor into the faith in March 2009.
- She played a significant role on her husband’s 2012 campaign for President, where she was described by the campaign as the “chief morale officer.”
