Leo appoints appoints Montse Alvarado as Vatican comms prefect

Pope Leo XIV appointed Jun. 2 María Montserrat Alvarado as prefect of the Dicastery for Communications.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Jun. 2 María Montserrat Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, as prefect of the Dicastery for Communications.

Pope Leo XIV and Montse Alvarado. Credit: Vatican media.

Alvarado will replace Paolo Ruffini as prefect effective November 1, becoming the first non-religious female to serve as a Vatican prefect.

Born in Mexico City, Alvarado worked between 2009 and 2023 at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where she became chief operation officer. Since 2023 she has served as president and COO of EWTN News, the news division of EWTN.

Ruffini began serving as perfect of the dicastery in 2018, when he took over the position from Msgr. Dario Viganò, who resigned in disgrace amid a scandal caused by his release of a digitally doctored image purporting to show a letter from then-pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

Ruffini’s own tenure in the job has been at times controversial, with the prefect coming in for particular criticism in 2021 when he defended the Vatican media team’s frequent use of artwork from the disgraced former Jesuit Marko Rupnik, despite the emergence of decades of sexual abuse allegations.

During the general congregations ahead of the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, numerous cardinals reportedly voiced frustration with the current state of Vatican communications, prompting speculation that the new pope might move to overhaul the department.

On Feb. 13, Leo appointed Sr. Nina Krapić, M.V.Z., then an official of the Dicastery for Communication, as deputy director of the Holy See Press Office.

The Dicastery for Communications was established by Pope Francis on June 2015 and is in charge of overseeing Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano – the Vatican’s newspaper – Vatican Media – which is in charge of photo and video services – the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house and printing press, and the Filmoteca Vaticana.

Alvarado said in a statement that “while this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate. And I am grateful to Paolo Ruffini for his leadership throughout the last years and look forward to continuing, in friendship and hope, the important work of strengthening the dicastery so it may continue to serve the Church in Rome and everywhere to communicate Christ to the world.”

Alvarado’s appointment could mark a significant shift in the Vatican’s perception of the EWTN media network itself.

In a Q&A session with Slovak Jesuits in 2021, Pope Francis said that “There is, for example, a large Catholic television channel that has no hesitation in continually speaking ill of the pope.”

“I personally deserve attacks and insults because I am a sinner, but the Church does not deserve them. They are the work of the devil,” a comment that was largely interpreted to be directed at EWTN, which had given space to several voices critical of Francis.

America Magazine also reported that on a March 2025 papal trip to Baghdad, the pope told EWTN’s reporter publicly that the network “should stop speaking badly about me.”

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Addressing his departure this week, Ruffini said in a statement: “I have entered the final lap of the race, before the moment when — in the long journey that is our working life — having reached the age of 70, the age set for retirement, I will pass the baton to Montserrat Alvarado as the next prefect.”

“I am grateful to the big family of [the] dicastery,” Ruffini said, “for the journey we have taken together over these eight years. We are beginning now the process over the coming months for a smooth transition in order to help the dicastery continue to grow in service to the Holy Father and in its mission of serving in a spirit of unity and openness.”

Ruffini’s replacement was expected as he turns 70 years old in October, the age at which Vatican lay officials must tender their resignation to the Pope.

However else Ruffini’s term as prefect is remembered, his frequent defense of the Vatican use of Rupnik’s artwork is likely to play a major role in the story.

In June 2024, Ruffini was asked at a Catholic media conference about the removal of artwork by Rupnik from public ecclesiastical spaces and communications after criticism from he alleged victims.

“I don’t think we have to throw stones, thinking it is the way of healing someone,” Ruffini said, going as far as suggesting that while Rupnik’s work might be upsetting to some victims of sexual abuse it might be healing for others.

Ruffini also stated that that removing publicly displayed art is not a reasonable act of “civilization,” suggesting that even if Rupnik is convicted at the DDF of grave sexual abuse, the Vatican may not support the public removal of his art.

Rupnik has been accused of sexually abusing some 30 religious sisters. Some of the allegations involve claims of sexual abuse which reportedly occurred directly in the context of designing and creating his works of art.

Paulina Guzik of OSV News followed up on Ruffini’s remarks, asking if removing Rupnik’s artwork would demonstrate a greater closeness to victims.

Ruffini retorted, “You think so? Well, I think you’re wrong. I think you are wrong. I really think you are wrong.”

“Removing, deleting, destroying art does not ever mean a good choice,” he said. “This is not a Christian response.”

Rupnik’s art was taken down from all Vatican websites in June 2025. The dicastery did not provide an official explanation for the decision.