Pope Leo Appoints Maria Montserrat Alvarado to Lead Vatican Communications

On Tuesday, Pope Leo named Maria Montserrat Alvarado, a Mexican-American executive, as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Communications, replacing Paolo Ruffini. The Dicastery oversees the Holy See’s television, radio, online, publishing and newspaper operations and holds one of the largest budgets among Vatican departments.

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The Dicastery of Communications oversees the Vatican’s media outlets. Pope Leo, the Chicago-born pontiff, has signaled a desire to reform the way the Catholic Church at large, and the Vatican in particular, communicates its message to the world. His appointment follows Pope Francis’s earlier moves to place women and laypersons in senior Vatican roles, challenging the traditionally clergy-dominated hierarchy.

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Pope Leo, the Chicago-born pontiff, announced the appointment. Maria Montserrat Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News and former leader at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, replaces Paolo Ruffini as prefect of the Dicastery of Communications.

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The Dicastery controls a multi-platform network that includes Vatican television, radio, digital services and print publications. While the exact figure is not disclosed, the office “enjoys one of the biggest budgets of any Vatican department,” underscoring its strategic importance.

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Alvarado’s appointment marks a notable instance of a laywoman heading a major Vatican department, reinforcing Pope Leo’s reform agenda and signaling a potential shift toward a more missionary-focused communication strategy. The move also places a leader from a conservative-leaning media group—EWTN, which operates in seven languages and includes outlets such as the Catholic News Agency, National Catholic Register and ACI Group—at the helm of the Vatican’s global outreach.

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Pope Leo has indicated a commitment to overhaul Vatican communications. He summoned cardinals for a meeting later this month to evaluate the effectiveness of ecclesial communication, emphasizing a more explicitly missionary perspective. The appointment of Alvarado is presented as a concrete step toward that reassessment.

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EWTN’s programming during Pope Francis’s pontificate frequently featured English-speaking critics of the Argentine pope. In 2021, Pope Francis described such media criticism as “the work of the devil,” a comment widely interpreted as aimed at EWTN. This historical tension highlights a potential source of opposition to the new leadership.

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• “reassess the effectiveness of ecclesial communication, including at the level of the Holy See, from a more explicitly missionary perspective,” — Pope Leo

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• “the work of the devil” — Pope Francis (2021 comment on media criticism)

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Cardinals are scheduled to meet at the Vatican later this month to evaluate the Church’s communication strategy. The outcomes of that meeting, along with Alvarado’s early actions as prefect, will shape the Vatican’s approach to global messaging in the coming months.

Associated Press