Lay woman to lead Vatican’s communications department

Maria Montserrat Alvarado replaces Paolo Ruffini as Prefect of the Dicastery, which controls the Vatican’s television, radio, online, publishing and newspaper operations.

Ms Alvarado, who starts in the role from November 1, becomes the first non-religious female to serve as a Vatican prefect.

Born in Mexico City, she worked between 2009 and 2023 at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, becoming its vice president and executive director in 2017, when The Wall Street Journal described her as “a defender of all religion, on the front line of America’s culture wars”. The Becket Fund recorded 12 victories in the US Supreme Court during her tenure, The Tablet reported.

Since 2023 she has served as president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, the news division of EWTN.

Ms Alvarado said in a statement that “while this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate. And I am grateful to Paolo Ruffini for his leadership throughout the last years and look forward to continuing, in friendship and hope, the important work of strengthening the Dicastery so it may continue to serve the Church in Rome and everywhere to communicate Christ to the world”, The Pillar reported.

Addressing his departure this week, Mr Ruffini said in a statement: “I have entered the final lap of the race, before the moment when – in the long journey that is our working life – having reached the age of 70, the age set for retirement, I will pass the baton to Montserrat Alvarado as the next prefect.”

By naming a lay person and a woman to head a major Vatican department, Pope Leo is following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who promoted several women to leadership positions in the Holy See governing hierarchy, which remains dominated by male clergy.

Pope Leo has indicated he wants to reform the way the Catholic Church at large, and the Vatican in particular, communicates its message to the world. Toward that end, he has summoned cardinals to the Vatican later this month for a meeting to “reassess the effectiveness of ecclesial communication, including at the level of the Holy See, from a more explicitly missionary perspective”, among other topics.

FULL STORY

Pope names Mexican-American broadcasting executive to lead Vatican communications (CruxNow/Associated Press)

Leo appoints Montse Alvarado as Vatican comms prefect (The Pillar)

Pope names EWTN news chief to head Vatican communications (The Tablet)