Montserrat Alvarado, the first laywoman to be Prefect of a Vatican Dicastery

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, effective November 1, 2026.

Born in Mexico City, Maria Montserrat Alvarado is a graduate of Florida International University and George Washington University. From 2009 to 2023, she held leadership positions in the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, participating in initiatives dedicated to the defense of religious freedom and the promotion of human dignity.

Since 2023, she has served as President and COO of EWTN News, the publishing division of Eternal Word Television Network, overseeing international media platforms that produce content in seven languages for television, radio, print, digital and social media. In 2024 Alvarado will be awarded the Lumen Gentium Medal from the University of Mary.  

First laywoman to be prefect

With the appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado, Pope Leo XIV continues the process of reform and renewal of the Roman Curia initiated by Pope Francis, who has entrusted leadership roles and responsibilities at the service of the universal Church to lay faithful, both men and women. María Montserrat Alvarado is the first non-religious woman to be appointed Prefect of a dicastery of the Holy See.

Created by Pope Francis on June 27, 2015, as part of the reform of the Roman Curia, the Dicastery for Communication oversees the Holy See's communications systems, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L'Osservatore Romano, Vatican Media (photo, audio and video services), the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Publishing House (LEV), the Vatican Press Office and the Vatican Cinematheque.

In addition to its operational and technological functions, the Dicastery also explores and develops the specific theological and pastoral aspects of the Church's activity in the field of communication. Maria Montserrat Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini, appointed in 2018 by Pope Francis as the first lay prefect of a dicastery of the Roman Curia, who will turn 70 this October.

First reactions

In a statement issued after the announcement, Maria Montserrat Alvarado stated, «While this appointment was unexpected, I welcome it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father at the beginning of his pontificate. I thank Paolo Ruffini for his commitment over the past few years and look forward to continuing, with friendship and hope, the important work of strengthening the dicastery so that it may continue to serve the Church, in Rome and everywhere, proclaiming Christ to the world.».

Paolo Ruffini addressed a letter to the employees of the Dicastery for Communication, in which he stated: «The Dicastery has ingrained in its DNA the duty to keep constantly abreast of the rapidly evolving world of communication. Since the birth of our institution, our guiding star has been and continues to be this: never to stop, to pass the baton without ceasing to run, to be present here and now, at this precise moment, as the cornerstone of a communication that is an instrument of communion that grows with time. I have entered the final stretch of my career, before the moment - on the long road that is our professional life - when, on reaching 70 years of age, the expected age of retirement, I will pass the baton to María Montserrat Alvarado, the next Prefect. We know each other well. And in the months to come, we will work closely together, in the spirit of communion that unites us in the Church».

«I thank the great family of the dicastery,» adds Paolo Ruffini, «for the journey we have made together during these eight years. Now, in the coming months, we will embark on a process of harmonious transition, so that the dicastery can continue its development in the service of the Holy Father and in its mission to serve in a spirit of unity and openness.».

Michael P. Warsaw, chairman and CEO of EWTN, said Maria Montserrat Alvarado had earned «the trust and respect of all who had the privilege of working alongside her» during her years at the station. He added: «We offer her our prayers, our support and the full backing of the EWTN family as she undertakes this important mission in the service of Pope Leo XIV and his pontificate.».