Pope Leo Taps Pro-Life American Media Exec To Lead Vatican Communications
Pope Leo XIV appointed an American Catholic media executive with a strong pro-life and religious liberty background to lead Vatican communications Tuesday.
Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the president and chief operating officer of Eternal Word Television Network News (EWTN), will be the first laywoman to assume a leadership role in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication in November, according to the Vatican.
Alvarado has led the conservative Catholic news group since 2023, expanding its multiplatform operations across several languages.
Before her time at EWTN, Alvarado worked at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty beginning in 2009. The organization tackles religious liberty issues in the courts, the public sphere and the academy. She eventually became the team’s chief operating officer, according to The Pillar.
“While this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate,” Alvarado said in a statement reported by The Pillar.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. The appointment will take effect Nov. 5, 2026.
Since 2023, Alvarado has overseen EWTN News’ global and multilingual… pic.twitter.com/RObq2HEdF2
— EWTN News (@EWTNews) June 2, 2026
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