Vatican: Pope Leo XIV appoints woman as head of dicastery for first time

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday appointed a female journalist of Mexican origin to lead the Vatican's communications dicastery. This is a historic step—for the first time, a lay woman holds such an influential position in the Roman Curia.

Pope Leo XIV made an unprecedented decision in Vatican history on Tuesday, appointing a female journalist of Mexican origin as head of the communications dicastery. This is the first time that a lay woman has taken the helm of such an influential position in the Roman Curia.

The Vatican communications dicastery is responsible for conveying the Holy See's official messages across the world and manages several key media outlets, including Vatican Radio and the newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. The appointment of the new leader is therefore significant both from an ecclesiastical policy perspective and symbolically.

This step continues Pope Leo XIV's reform agenda, which has been aimed at modernising the governance of the Catholic Church and supporting greater inclusion of women in decision-making processes within church structures. Observers view this decision as an important signal of the Vatican's evolving attitude towards women's roles in the Church's higher institutions.