Maria Alvarado Becomes First Laywoman to Lead Vatican Communications

Maria Alvarado, a 39-year-old Mexican-American media executive, is set to make history as the first laywoman to head a major department of the Vatican, taking charge of its communications operations this week.

Alvarado will also become the first non-Italian to lead the department, which oversees the Vatican’s television, radio, print publications and press office. Her appointment marks a significant development in the leadership of the Catholic Church’s communications structure.

The appointment was announced in June by Pope Leo XIV, who selected Alvarado without the conventional application process. She said she was surprised by the decision, explaining that she had neither applied for the position nor gone through a standard selection procedure.

“I didn’t apply; I wasn’t chosen” through a standard application process, she said in an interview with EWTN News, where she has served as president and chief operating officer since 2023.

She described the appointment as a direct decision by the Pope, saying it was an appointment made by the Holy Father.

Alvarado previously worked for 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit law firm focused on defending religious freedom. She was born in Mexico, moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami before relocating to Washington for her studies.

Since taking charge of EWTN News in 2023, she has overseen international media operations producing content in seven languages across television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media.

Her previous employer, EWTN, is the largest Catholic television network in the United States. Founded by a nun, the organisation has become an influential platform among conservative Catholics, although some of its programmes have been critical of the Vatican.

During the papacy of Pope Francis, certain EWTN programmes attracted criticism for their coverage of his leadership and reforms. In 2021, Francis appeared to criticise a major Catholic television channel that he said was constantly attacking the Pope.

Alvarado succeeds Paolo Ruffini, 70, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2018 and became the first layperson to lead a Vatican dicastery.

Her appointment has been viewed by some observers as an indication of Pope Leo’s approach to women in senior Church positions. Lucetta Scaraffia, a professor of history at Rome’s La Sapienza University and founder of the Vatican women’s magazine Women Church World, described Alvarado as an accomplished communications professional whose appointment reflected her skills and experience.

Scaraffia also said Alvarado’s international background could bring a broader global outlook to the department, which has traditionally been led by Italians.

The appointment comes amid wider discussions about women’s participation in the leadership of the Catholic Church, where senior positions have historically been dominated by clergy and, among women, religious sisters.