Dicastery for Communication

The Dicastery for Communication (Italian: Dicastero per la Comunicazione) is a division (dicastery) of the Roman Curia with authority over all communication offices of the Holy See and the Vatican City State. Its various offices can be accessed through its website. These are the Pope's website and other offices such as Vatican News on internet (including the former Vatican Media Center which distributes segments for television), the Holy See Press Office, L'Osservatore Romano, Photograph Service, Vatican Radio, Vatican Press [it], and the Vatican Publishing House. The Pontifical Council for Social Communications has been subsumed into this new Dicastery.

Dicastery for Communication

Established	29 June 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-29)
Founder	Pope Francis
Merger of	All communications offices of Holy See and Vatican City
Location	Vatican City
Prefect	Paolo Ruffini
Director	Paolo Nusiner
Chief editor	Andrea Tornielli
Parent organization	Roman Curia
Website	Dicastery for Communication

Pope Francis established the Secretariat for Communication in June 2015,^[1][2] with Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò, former director of the Vatican Television Center, as its first prefect.^[3] Viganò resigned on 21 March 2018, "a week after his mishandling of a letter from retired Pope Benedict XVI provoked a global outcry".^[4]

On 23 June 2018, the secretariat was renamed Dicastery for Communication,^[5] and on 5 July 2018, Pope Francis appointed award-winning lay journalist Paolo Ruffini as prefect. He was the first layman named to head a Vatican dicastery.^[6] Ruffini also chairs the Commission for Information of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.^[7] Monsignor Lucio Adrian Ruiz, former head of the Vatican Internet Service, is secretary of the Dicastery and Paul Nusiner, former General Manager of Avvenire, is director general.^[1][8]

Members

On 13 July 2016 Pope Francis appointed the following as members of the dicastery:^[9]

• Patriarch Moran Mor Béchara Boutros Raï
• Cardinal John Njue
• Cardinal Chibly Langlois
• Cardinal Charles Maung Bo
• Cardinal Leonardo Sandri
• Cardinal Beniamino Stella
• Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
• Archbishop Gintaras Grušas
• Bishop Marcello Semeraro
• Bishop Stanislas Lalanne
• Bishop Pierre Nguyễn Văn Khảm
• Bishop Ginés Ramón García Beltrán
• Bishop Nuno Brás da Silva Martins
• Alessandro Elia
• Kim Daniels
• Markus Schächter
• Leticia Soberón Mainero

On 12 April 2017, Pope Francis expanded the Secretariat of Communication and appointed 13 new consultants:^[10]

Jacquineau Azétsop, S.J. Fernando Giménez Barriocanal Ann Carter Dino Cataldo Dell'Accio Graham Ellis Peter Gonsalves José María La Porte

Ivan Maffeis James Martin, S.J. Paolo Peverini Eric Salobir, O.P. Michael Paul Unland Michael Warsaw

On 18 December 2018, Pope Francis appointed Andrea Tornielli as Editorial Director,^[11] and on 3 December 2021, he appointed Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo as a member of the Dicastery.^[12]

See also

• Index of Vatican City-related articles

References

1. Francis, Pope (27 June 2015). "For the establishment of the Secretariat for Communication". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
2. McElwee, Joshua (27 June 2015). "Francis creates Secretariat to elevate, consolidate Vatican communications". Vatican Insider. La Stampa. National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
3. "Pope Francis promulgates Motu Proprio instituting the 'Secretariat for Communication' ". news.va. Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Vatican Radio. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
4. McElwee, Joshua J. (21 March 2018). "Francis accepts resignation of Vatican's communications czar after Benedict letter scandal". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
5. "Pope renames Vatican communications office". Vatican News. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
6. Pentin, Edward (5 July 2018). "Pope Appoints Award-Winning Lay Journalist as Head of Vatican Communications". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
7. Holy See, Notice of Briefing, 10.10.2024, accessed on 11 Ocytober 2024
8. "Nomine nella Segreteria per la Comunicazione" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015.
9. "Nomina di membri della Segreteria per la Comunicazione" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 July 2016. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016.
10. "Father James Martin appointed by Pope Francis to Vatican department for communications". America Magazine. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
11. Holy see press office (18 December 2018). "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va (in Italian). Retrieved 18 December 2018.
12. "Pope appoints Bishop Badejo to Vatican Dicastery". Naija Times. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.