Montserrat Alvarado appointed head of Vatican communications

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Mexican-American Montserrat Alvarado as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. Alvarado is the first woman to lead this strategic department, which has historically been held by men.

Alvarado, 39, previously served as president of EWTN News, a major US-based Catholic media network. She succeeds Paolo Ruffini, who was recently retired. In her new role, she will oversee more than 500 employees across various Vatican media outlets, including Vatican Radio, the Vatican publishing house, the press office, and digital platforms.

Alvarado noted that her appointment was a direct nomination from the Pope rather than a traditional application process. She expressed a desire to integrate digital and traditional communication methods and identified learning the language and mentality of the Italian staff as an immediate challenge. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.