The Vatican’s media department has a deputy editorial director for the first time. Pope Francis appointed Massimiliano Menichetti (53) as Deputy Director of the Dicastery for Communication and Vatican News, as the Vatican announced on Thursday.
The Rome-born lawyer and journalist has been working for the Vatican media for more than 20 years, until now mainly as a kind of programme director. His task is, therefore, to upgrade Radio Vatican/Vatican News.
Since July 2018, journalist Paolo Ruffini (67) has been the prefect and, thus, head of the communications department. He is the only layman at the head of a Vatican dicastery. At the same time, Francesco Valle (52) was appointed Deputy Director for “General Affairs” in the Dicastery for Communication.