Overview
- The Holy See announced Tuesday that Pope Leone XIV appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado as prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, a post she will formally assume on November 1, 2026 while Paolo Ruffini will leave the role on his retirement in October.
- Alvarado will be the first laywoman to lead the dicastery and the second woman to head any Curial dicastery, extending the Vatican’s recent pattern of appointing women to senior curial roles.
- Born in Mexico and now a U.S. citizen, Alvarado worked at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty from 2009 to 2023 and has served since 2023 as president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, giving her experience running global Catholic media operations.
- Vatican coverage frames the appointment as a strategic pivot toward a ‘digital mission’ and a less Italy‑centered leadership after reporting of internal tensions, personnel problems and past communication errors under Ruffini; the Vatican’s lay employees’ association praised her appointment while urging action on staff issues.
- The change could shift the tone and global reach of Vatican media and will place Alvarado in charge of coordinating Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, L'Osservatore Romano and the press office, a role that will test her ability to unify diverse platforms and manage staff during the handover.