Pope Leo introduces the Vatican's new communications chief

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado as Vatican communications prefect, taking over the Dicastery for Communications on November 1 from Paolo Ruffini. A Mexican-American former head of the Washington, D.C.-based EWTN Catholic broadcasting network, Alvarado becomes the first woman to lead the office, described as one of the Holy See’s largest and costliest bureaucracies. Her arrival comes amid longstanding criticism from Vatican financial officials and journalists about budgets, staffing, and slow responses. At an inaugural press conference, she signaled a more direct approach, praised by the Pope before his Latin America tour, and addressed questions including his health and Peru homecoming messaging.