Pope Names Mexican-American Broadcasting Executive to Lead Vatican Communications
The first lay woman to lead the Vatican office will oversee a communications overhaul as cardinals prepare to reassess its mission later this month.
- On Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. She becomes the first lay woman to hold this senior Church role.
- Alvarado succeeds Paolo Ruffini, who is retiring at age 70 after eight years as the first lay prefect. Established by Pope Francis in 2015, the Dicastery oversees Vatican media, radio, and publishing operations.
- Born in Mexico City and educated in the United States, Alvarado has led EWTN News since 2023. The network, a global media conglomerate operating in seven languages, often appeals to conservative U.S. Catholics.
- Effective November 1, 2026, Alvarado will assume her duties as the transition process begins immediately. Ruffini expressed gratitude for the "journey we have taken together over these eight years" before passing the baton.
- Pope Leo XIV has summoned cardinals later this month to "reassess the effectiveness of ecclesial communication" from a more explicitly missionary perspective. The appointment reflects his broader goal to reform how the Catholic Church communicates its message.
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Leo XIV's decision has been surprised because the chosen one comes from a medium that was criticized by the late Pope Francis.
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Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, current president and director of operations of EWTN News, prefecta del Dicastery para la Comunicación del Vaticano,...
In the future, the journalist Maria Montserrat Alvarado will direct the Vatican's communication. She is the first laywoman to lead a dicastery of the Holy See.
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