Pope Leo XIV has appointed María Montserrat Alvarado as the next Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, making her the first woman and first Mexican-American to lead Vatican media operations. Alvarado, currently president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, will assume the role on November 1. You can read Aleteia’s full report here. The appointment represents one of Pope Leo’s most significant curial appointments since his election in May 2025.
What happened
Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini, who has led the dicastery since 2018. The Dicastery for Communication oversees all Vatican media outlets, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, and the Vatican Publishing House. The position carries significant responsibility for shaping how the Holy See communicates with the global Church and the wider world.
Alvarado has spent more than two decades in Catholic media, most recently leading EWTN’s news division. Before that, she worked in diocesan communications in Los Angeles and Houston. She holds degrees in journalism and theology from Catholic universities in the United States.
For complete details on the appointment, see Aleteia’s coverage.
Why this matters
Pope Leo XIV continues the pattern established by Pope Francis of appointing laypeople to senior Vatican positions. The Dicastery for Communication was established in its current form in 2015 to consolidate Vatican media operations under unified leadership. Alvarado’s appointment signals continuity in that vision while bringing an American perspective to a role traditionally held by European clergy or laymen.
The choice of someone with deep roots in English-language Catholic media reflects the global reach of Vatican communications in an era when most Catholics live outside Europe. Alvarado will oversee a media operation that publishes in dozens of languages and reaches hundreds of millions of Catholics worldwide.
For Catholic readers
Watch for Vatican media coverage under new leadership beginning this November. Those interested in Church communications can follow the Dicastery for Communication’s work at vatican.va, where all major papal documents, statements, and daily news from the Holy See are published.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original report
