Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday appointed an executive from the American Catholic media group EWTN to head the Vatican's communications department, a historic decision that makes her the first woman to hold this position within the Catholic Church.
Maria Montserrat Alvarado, originally from Mexico City, will head the Dicastery for Communication, one of the Holy See's main agencies. This body is responsible for overseeing all of the Vatican's official media outlets, including its news portal, radio station, newspaper, and press office.
Prior to this appointment, Maria Montserrat Alvarado held leadership positions within EWT extension (Eternal Word Television Network), a Catholic media group based in the United States that broadcasts religious news and programming to millions of believers around the world.
This decision reflects the new pontiff's stated desire to continue opening up certain responsibilities within the Roman Curia to lay people and women. While several female appointments have already taken place in the Vatican in recent years, no woman had yet headed the department responsible for all communications for the Holy See.
The Dicastery for Communication plays a strategic role in disseminating the Pope's messages and in relations with the international media. In the age of social media and 24/7 news, this institution has become an essential tool for the Catholic Church's global presence.
The appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado is thus seen as an important step in the evolution of Vatican governance and in the place given to women within the highest administrative bodies of the Church.
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