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Avarado, a senior American media executive, was appointed head of the Vatican’s communications department by the Pope, becoming the first female layperson to head a department in the Vatican. It also reflects Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on women and professional talents.
Maria Montserrat Alvarado, a 39-year-old American media executive, took over this weekVatican Prefect of the Congregation for Communications of the Holy See, becoming the first female lay person to hold the post of “department” in the Holy See.
Ms. Alvarado, who is Mexican-American and the first non-Italian to lead the department, is in charge of all Vatican television, radio, print and publishing functions as well as the Holy See’s press office, Agence France-Presse reported.
Analysts believe soPope Leo XIV (Pope Leo XIV) The appointment of a woman with a professional background to this important position highlights that his approach to women is different from that of previous Popes. Women who have held top Vatican positions in the past have tended to become nuns.
Alvarado himself was surprised by the appointment, following the announcement of this personnel matter by the Holy See in June this year. In an exclusive interview, he explained that “I didn’t apply, but I was selected” not through the standard application process. It was “appointed by the Pope himself.”
Alvarado was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with his family as a child. He grew up in Miami and then moved to Washington to study. Before entering the media industry, he served for 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit law firm protecting religious freedom.
Alvarado has served as the top person and chief operating officer (COO) of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN News) in the United States since 2023, overseeing the production of content in 7 languages and covering international media platforms including television, print media, radio, digital media and social networks. It is the largest Catholic television network in the United States.
However, relations between the Eternal Word Television Network and the Holy See have not always been harmonious in the past.
Some of the TV network’s programs are famous for their criticism of former Pope Francis. The late Pope Francis was a leader who dedicated himself to reforming Catholicism during his lifetime, causing discontent among conservatives within the Catholic Church, especially in the United States.
Alvarado did not originally plan to pursue a career in media and communications. She once told the Eternal Word Television Network that her “greatest desire has always been to get married and have children.”
She was married but divorced, but the marriage was annulled by the Catholic Church.
Alvarado will replace current minister Ruffini. Ruffini, 70, was appointed by Francis in 2018 and became the first layperson to lead the Vatican dicastery.
“This is a woman who has been chosen for her professional abilities and personality,” Lucetta Scarafia, founder of Woman Church World, the Vatican’s monthly women’s magazine, told AFP.
Scarafia noted that Alvarado “is a skilled communications manager” who “made this career on her own” and that her appointment showed that “the Pope views women in a completely different light.”
Summary FAQ
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She took over this week as the Holy See’s minister of communications, responsible for the Vatican’s television, radio, print publications and newsroom operations, becoming the first female layperson to lead the Vatican at the departmental level.
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She is not only the first non-Italian to lead this department, but she is also the first female layman in the Holy See to serve as head of the department, showing that the Pope’s approach to the appointment of women is different from the past.
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She was born in Mexico and raised in the United States. He worked for 14 years at a non-profit law firm defending religious freedom. He has served as the top man and chief operating officer of EWTN News since 2023.
