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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Pope Leo appoints first lay woman to a top position in Vatican

Astrology Vatican Holy See
Maria Montserrat Alvarado reporting on a news channel.
Maria Montserrat Alvarado is the president of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) at present. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

Pope Leo has appointed the first lay woman to a top position in the governance of the Roman Catholic church.

Maria Montserrat Alvarado, who is now president of the US-based Catholic media outlet, EWTN News, will lead the Vatican’s powerful communications department, which was set up by the late Pope Francis in 2015 and oversees the Vatican’s news site as well as its radio station, newspaper, press office, publishing house and film library.

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