Just before his anticipated visit to Spain, an important piece of news related to Leo XIV has slipped into the background. The Pope has just appointed María Montserrat Alvarado as the new prefect of the Dicastery for Communications of the Vatican. This appointment marks a notable milestone in the Holy See, since this media executive and journalist will be the first laywoman who is not a religious to lead a Vatican ‘ministry’. And, at 39 years old, she will become, by far, the youngest prefect of the Roman Curia.
Alvarado, a Mexican-American Catholic who grew up in Miami, will assume the post on November 1 and will succeed Paolo Ruffini, whom Pope Francis appointed in 2018 as the first lay prefect of a dicastery and who is about to turn 70. The first woman to lead a Vatican dicastery was an Italian missionary, Sister Simona Brambilla, who was 59 when the previous pope appointed her in January 2025 as prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Created by Pope Francis in 2015, the Dicastery for Communications oversees the Holy See’s communication systems. Among them are Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano or the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Publishing House and the Vatican Printing Office and the Vatican Film Library. In addition to the operational and technological functions assigned to it, this ministry also deepens and develops the theological and pastoral aspects of the Church’s activity in the field of communication.
With the appointment of Alvarado, Montse for his inner circle, Pope Leo XIV continues the path of reform and renewal of the Roman Curia begun by Pope Francis. In this new phase, lay faithful, men and women, have been entrusted with leadership positions and responsibilities in service of the Church. Less than two months ago, Leo XIV named the religious Nina Benedikta Krapić as deputy director of the Holy See Press Office.
Who is María Montserrat Alvarado?
Born in Mexico City in 1986, María Montserrat Alvarado currently resides in Washington. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida International University and has a Master’s in Political Management from George Washington University. Her professional career began in 2009 in the communications department of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit law firm that defends cases of religious liberty.
María Montserrat Alvarado.
In 2021, she began her transition toward religious media, becoming the host of a weekly news program on the Catholic news channel EWTN News. Two years later, she was named president and chief operating officer of this channel, founded in 1981 in a garage in Alabama, which now has 400 million viewers worldwide. From this position, Alvarado has driven projects related to evangelization, freedom of expression, the role of women, and attention to marginalized communities.
In a statement after the news of her appointment at the Vatican became known, Alvarado said: «Although this appointment has been unexpected, I accept it with the sincere desire to serve the Holy Father at the start of his pontificate. I thank Paolo Ruffini for his leadership over the last years and I hope to continue, with a spirit of friendship and hope, the important work of strengthening the dicastery so that it can continue to serve the Church in Rome and everywhere, with the aim of making Christ known to the world».
Praise for the New Prefect
After the appointment was announced, Michael P. Warsaw, CEO of EWTN, stated that Alvarado had earned “the trust and respect of all those who have had the privilege of working alongside her” during her years at the network. And he added: “We offer her our prayers, our encouragement, and all the support of the EWTN family now that she embarks on this important mission in service of Pope Leo XIV and his pontificate.”
For his part, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, also wished to congratulate the Mexican. “We are grateful for her work as a Catholic journalist, faithfully covering the bishops’ work, and also for her advocacy and dedication to the protection of religious freedom and human dignity,” he stated in a press release, before highlighting that Alvarado possesses “unique talents.”
