Pope Leo XIV has appointed American media executive Maria Montserrat Alvarado as the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. She will take up her post on 1 November 2026, succeeding Paolo Ruffini, who is retiring.
Alvarado currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News. EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) is one of the world’s largest Catholic media networks, reaching audiences across television, radio, digital media and social platforms on every continent.
Alvarado will become the first laywoman to lead the Vatican’s communications dicastery. The dicastery is part of the Roman Curia and is responsible for Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Media and the Holy See Press Office.
The mission of the Dicastery for Communication is to coordinate and develop the Holy See’s communications efforts and to ensure that the Pope’s teaching and the life of the Church are communicated throughout the world through modern media.
The appointment has attracted considerable attention in Catholic media circles. Observers note that it signals Pope Leo XIV’s conviction that communications will be one of the key priorities of his pontificate. Attention has also focused on the fact that the new prefect comes directly from the leadership of a major international Catholic media organization rather than from within the Vatican administration itself.
In recent weeks Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly emphasized the importance of communications in an age shaped by digital technology and artificial intelligence. In his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas (The Magnificent Humanity), he reflected extensively on the impact of media, technology and information on human dignity and society.
The appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado can therefore be seen as part of a broader effort to strengthen the Church’s presence and witness in a rapidly changing communications environment.
Fides / Vatican News
Picture: EWTN