The Vatican’s nine communications offices are to be consolidated under the authority of a new Secretariat for Communications.
Pope Francis announced the new secretariat with a motu proprio, promulgated on June 27.
The new dicastery will oversee the all of the Vatican’s communications offices, including Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Television Centre, the Holy See Press Office, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Vatican Internet Service, the Vatican Typography, the Photograph Service, and the Vatican publishing house.
Pope Francis added these offices “must continue their own activities, in accordance, however, with the indications given by the Secretariat for Communications”.
The secretariat will also assume responsibility for the Vatican’s website, vatican.va, and the Pope’s Twitter account, @pontifex.
Pope Francis acknowledged the rapidly changing digital media environment necessitated a rethinking of the Holy See’s information system.