Pope Leo Names First Lay Woman to Head Vatican Media Dicastery
Alvarado, currently president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, will assume the historic role on Nov. 1, succeeding outgoing prefect Paolo Ruffini.
A seasoned media leader, Alvarado has helmed EWTN News since 2023, steering international platforms that produce content across seven languages and span television, radio, print, digital, and social media. Prior to that, she spent over a decade — from 2009 to 2023 — at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where she concentrated on religious freedom and human dignity initiatives.
The Vatican framed the appointment as a direct continuation of institutional reform, stating that Pope Leo XIV is carrying forward a transformative agenda first set in motion by Pope Francis, who actively expanded female representation at the highest levels of Church governance by elevating several lay women into senior leadership roles.
The Dicastery for Communication, established by Pope Francis in 2015, serves as the nerve center of the Holy See's global media operations — overseeing Vatican News, Vatican Radio, the L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, Vatican Media, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house, and a broad range of additional media services.
In her first public remarks following the announcement, Alvarado said she accepted the appointment with "a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate."
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