Pope appoints 1st laywoman to lead Vatican communications office

Pope Leo has appointed Mexican media executive Maria Montserrat Alvarado as prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, making her the first non-religious woman to head a dicastery of the Roman Catholic church.

The Vatican announced Tuesday that Alvarado, currently president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, will assume the role on Nov. 1, succeeding Paolo Ruffini.

Alvarado has led EWTN News since 2023, overseeing international media platforms producing content in seven languages across television, radio, print, digital and social media. Before that, she held leadership positions at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty from 2009 to 2023, focusing on religious freedom and human dignity initiatives.

According to the Vatican, with the appointment of Alvarado, Pope Leo XIV continues the path of reform launched by Pope Francis, who took steps in boosting the female workforce in the Vatican by appointing several lay women into positions of leadership and responsibility in the service of the church.

Established by Pope Francis in 2015, the Dicastery for Communication oversees the Vatican’s communications network, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, Vatican Media, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house and other media services.

In a statement released after the announcement, Alvarado said she accepted the appointment with "a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate."