Appraising lay leaders of Vatican press office after a year

August 01, 2017

John Allen of Crux notes that one year has passed since the Greg Burke took over as director of the Vatican press office, with Paloma Garcia Ovejero as his deputy.

The appointment of two lay journalists, and two non-Italians (Burke is American, Garcia Ovejero is Spanish) marked a dramatic change in the Vatican’s approach to handling the press. Allen gives the pair high grades for their professionalism and their willingness to provide reporters with the news they want.

However, Allen also notes that the directors of the press office are not Vatican “insiders” and do not have direct access to the Pope, so that despite their own best efforts they are often unaware of the latest policy developments. “They’re often asked to explain things they don’t necessarily understand themselves, and can end up looking out of the loop,” Allen reports.

 

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Further information:

• A balance sheet on first anniversary of Pope’s unique media team (Crux)
• Pope appoints American layman as chief Vatican spokesman (CWN, 7/11/16)