Pope Leo Appoints First Lay Woman to a Top Position in Vatican Pope Leo has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, president of EWTN News, as the first lay woman to lead the Vatican’s communications department. Alvarado, born in Mexico City and a US citizen, will begin her role on November 1st, succeeding Paolo Ruffini. This appointment follows Pope Francis’s efforts to increase female leadership within the church and modernize its communication strategies.

• Maria Montserrat Alvarado is appointed to lead the Vatican’s communications department.
• She is the first nonreligious woman to be appointed prefect of a dicastery of the Holy See.
• Alvarado, currently president of EWTN News, begins her role on November 1st.
• Her appointment continues Pope Francis’s initiative to boost female workforce participation in the Vatican.
• Pope Leo aims to reassess the effectiveness of ecclesial communication from a missionary perspective.