The appointment of Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication has been warmly welcomed by Catholic lay leaders in Thailand, who see the decision as a significant affirmation of the growing role of laypeople as co-responsible partners in the Church’s mission.
Pope Leo XIV announced the historic appointment on June 2, naming the 39-year-old president and chief operating officer of EWTN News as the next head of the Holy See’s communications department. Effective Nov. 1, 2026, Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini, who is retiring after serving as prefect since 2018.
According to Vatican News, Alvarado will become the first laywoman who is not a member of a religious order to lead a Vatican dicastery, marking another milestone in the ongoing reform of the Roman Curia initiated by the late Pope Francis.
As prefect, she will oversee the Holy See’s extensive communications network, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Publishing House and the Vatican Film Library.
Many observers point to Alvarado’s extensive experience in Catholic media as a key factor in her appointment.
During her tenure at EWTN News, she helped transform the organization into one of the world’s largest multilingual Catholic news networks, earning a reputation for strategic leadership and innovation in digital communications.
For Catholic leaders in Thailand, the appointment sends a powerful message about the value of lay expertise in Church leadership.
“I feel encouraged that lay people are increasingly being viewed as co-responsible partners in the Church’s mission, especially within the Roman Curia,” said Dr. Kamnuan Ungchusak, a respected Catholic physician and member of the board of trustees of a Catholic college in Bangkok.
“The position of prefect is not necessarily reserved for a cardinal or bishop. It can be entrusted to any baptized person who possesses the necessary competence and commitment to serve the Church,” he said.
Dr. Kamnuan noted that the Vatican has gradually expanded opportunities for qualified laypeople and women to assume senior leadership positions.
“Until recently, the Dicastery for Communication was the only Vatican department headed by a non-cleric. A historic shift occurred when a religious sister was appointed to lead another major dicastery,” he noted.
The Dicastery for Communication has been led by Ruffini, a lay Italian journalist, while the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is headed by Sister Simona Brambilla, the first woman religious to serve as prefect of a Vatican dicastery.
Another prominent Catholic lay leader, Dr. Virachai Techavijit, a renowned educator and academic scholar, also welcomed the appointment.
He said the Church should increasingly draw upon the professional expertise of qualified laypeople in fields such as communications, artificial intelligence, law, compliance, finance, accounting, auditing and technology.
“The Vatican has already begun expanding this practice, and the same model can be adapted at the local Church level to improve efficiency and transparency,” he said.
Dr. Virachai added that modern digital systems can help strengthen accountability and governance while also addressing the challenges posed by declining numbers of clergy in some parts of the world.
“This is a positive development and one that deserves support,” he said.
Raphael Chainarong, former world president of UNDA, the international Catholic association for radio and television, also described the appointment as a significant step forward.
“By appointing a laywoman as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, the first woman ever to hold that position, Pope Leo XIV is continuing the reform process launched by Pope Francis through Praedicate Evangelium, which opened senior Vatican leadership positions to lay people,” he said.
Chainarong noted that the decision reflects a recognition that evangelization in the digital age requires professional expertise and a deep understanding of global communications.
“I believe Pope Leo XIV has made a wise and forward-looking decision,” he said. “The appointment creates an opportunity for the Church’s global communications network to renew its mission and communicate the Gospel and the Pope’s message more effectively to people around the world.”
Born in Mexico City and a United States citizen since 2008, Alvarado brings extensive experience in journalism, media management and international communications to the role.
Her appointment continues a broader movement within the Vatican to expand the participation of laypeople and women in positions of responsibility.
For many Catholics in Thailand, her selection is more than a personnel change. It is a visible sign of a Church that increasingly recognizes the gifts, talents and professional expertise of the laity in advancing its mission in the modern world.
