Pope Leo appoints Tagle, 2 other Filipino bishops to Vatican communications body
From left, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization; Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. of San Pablo, chairman of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences-Office of Social Communication; and Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agaña, president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific. (CBCP Photo)
Pope Leo XIV appointed 12 new members to the Dicastery for Communication, including three Filipino bishops in a reshuffle of one of the Holy See’s key media offices.
Among those named to the Vatican body on April 9 are five cardinals, including Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
Two archbishops were also appointed, among them Ryan Jimenez, president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), along with three bishops, including Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr.
Maralit heads the Office of Social Communication of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and previously served as chair of the Episcopal Commission on Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The Dicastery for Communication has been led since 2018 by Paolo Ruffini, the first lay prefect of a Roman Curia department, with Msgr. Lucio Adrián Ruiz serving as secretary.
The office oversees the Vatican’s global communications network, coordinating the Holy See’s media operations across news, television, radio, publishing, and digital platforms under a unified structure.
It also develops the theological and pastoral direction of Church communications, alongside its operational mandate.
Since 2019, Vatican media operations have been fully integrated under the dicastery, including its news services, television and radio networks, daily newspaper, printing press, publishing house, photographic service, and the Holy See Press Office.