Overview
- Pope Leo XIV announced on Tuesday that Maria Montserrat Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, will become prefect of the Dicastery for Communication on 1 November 2026.
- Alvarado is the first non‑religious laywoman to be named prefect of a Vatican dicastery and, at about 39, would be one of the youngest recent leaders of a major Vatican office.
- She brings executive experience running EWTN’s multilingual TV, radio, print and digital operations and prior leadership at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which shapes expectations about her managerial style and U.S. ties.
- Paolo Ruffini will remain in place to oversee a handover before his retirement at the Vatican retirement age of 70, and the transition is presented by Vatican statements as part of a planned reform process.
- The Dicastery for Communication controls the Holy See’s main media outlets, faces budget and morale challenges from past controversies such as disputes over artwork by Rev. Marko Rupnik, and observers say Alvarado’s role will test efforts to rebuild trust and broaden the Vatican’s global reach.