Holy See Press Office
{{Short description|Official agency of the Holy See}}
{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}
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The Holy See Press Office ({{langx|la|Sala Stampa Sanctae Sedis}}; {{langx|it|Sala Stampa della Santa Sede|links=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/}}) is the press office of the Holy See. It publishes the official news of the activities of the Pope and of the various departments of the Roman Curia. All speeches, messages and documents, as well as the statements issued by the Director, are published in their entirety.
Role
The press office operates every day in Italian, although texts in other languages are also available.
On 27 June 2015, Pope Francis, through an apostolic letter issued motu proprio ("on his own initiative"), established the Secretariat for Communication in the Roman Curia. The Press Office was incorporated into it, but at the same time belongs to the Secretariat of State.{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/papa-francesco-motu-proprio_20150627_segreteria-comunicazione.html |title=Apostolic Letter issued 'Motu proprio' by the Supreme Pontiff Francis for the Establishment of the Secretariat for Communication |date=27 June 2015 |website=The Holy See |access-date=19 April 2018}} On 21 December 2015, Pope Francis appointed Dr. Greg Burke, formerly the Communications Advisor for the Section for General Affairs of the Vatican's Secretariat of State (a key department in the Roman Curia), as Deputy Director of the Press Office.{{cite web |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2015/12/21/1018/02268.html |title=Rinunce e nomine |trans-title=Withdrawals and nominations |language=it |date=21 December 2015 |website=Holy See Press Office |access-date=18 April 2018}}
Following Burke's appointment as director in 2016, Spanish journalist Paloma García Ovejero took over as vice director, making her the first woman to hold that position.{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/us-and-spanish-journalists-will-lead-vatican-press-office.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712142337/http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/us-and-spanish-journalists-will-lead-vatican-press-office.cfm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 12, 2016|title=U.S. and Spanish journalists will lead Vatican press office|last=Arocho Esteves|first=Junno|date=12 July 2016|website=Catholic News Service|access-date=18 April 2018}} It was also announced that both Burke and García Ovejero, both laymen, would later begin their positions on 1 August 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/34169/pope-names-american-as-new-vatican-spokesperson |title=Pope names American as new Vatican spokesperson |first=Ann |last=Schneible |date=11 July 2016 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=18 April 2018}} On 31 December 2018, both Burke and García Ovejero announced their resignations.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GregBurkeRome/status/1079694689765330944|title=Paloma and I have resigned, effective Jan. 1. At this time of transition in Vatican communications, we think it's best the Holy Father is completely free to assemble a new team.|date=31 December 2018|access-date=31 December 2018|website=Twitter}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International|title=International|website=ABC News|access-date=October 15, 2019}} Pope Francis has therefore appointed Italian journalist Alessandro Gisotti, former deputy editor-in-chief of Vatican Radio, as interim director of the Holy See Press Office.{{Cite web |title=Alessandro Gisotti appointed interim director of Holy See Press Office |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-appointment-holy-see-press-office-gisotti.html}}
In July 2019, Pope Francis named British-born Italian layman Matteo Bruni as Director.{{cite web |author=Inés San Martín |url=https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/07/18/british-born-italian-layman-appointed-new-vatican-spokesperson/ |title=British-born Italian layman appointed new Vatican spokesperson |publisher=Cruxnow.com |date=2019-07-18 |access-date=2019-10-15 |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203215049/https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/07/18/british-born-italian-layman-appointed-new-vatican-spokesperson |url-status=dead }} Bruni is the first non-journalist to serve in this position.{{cite web|url=https://catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2019/07/19/for-the-first-time-a-non-journalist-is-director-of-the-vatican-press-office/|title=For the first time, a non-journalist is Director of the Vatican Press Office|date=July 19, 2019|website=Catholic Herald|access-date=October 15, 2019}} The same month, the Pope appointed Brazilian laywoman Cristiane Murray, who previously served as the Vatican Radio commentator for papal events and international trips for 25 years, as Vice Director.{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/41874/pope-francis-names-vice-director-of-holy-see-press-office|title=Pope Francis names vice director of Holy See press office|first=Courtney|last=Grogan|website=Catholic News Agency|access-date=October 15, 2019}}
Directors
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}} ! rowspan=2| Portrait ! rowspan=2| Name ! colspan=3| Term of office |
| Took office
! Left office ! Time in office |
|---|
| 1
| 60px | {{ill|Angelo Fausto Vallainc|it}} | 19 October 1966 | 4 July 1970 | {{ayd|1966|10|19|1970|07|04}} |
| 2
| | {{ill|Federico Alessandrini|it}} | 11 July 1970 | 3 June 1976 | {{ayd|1970|07|11|1976|06|03}} |
| rowspan=2| 3
| rowspan=2| 60px | rowspan=2| Romeo Panciroli | style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 3 June 1976 | style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 5 September 1977 | style="background:#e6e6aa;"| {{ayd|1976|06|03|1977|09|05}} |
| 5 September 1977
| 4 November 1984 | {{ayd|1977|09|05|1984|11|04}} |
| 4
| 60px | Joaquín Navarro-Valls | 6 December 1984 | 11 July 2006 | {{ayd|1984|11|04|2006|07|11}} |
| 5
| 60px | Federico Lombardi | 11 July 2006 | 1 August 2016 | {{ayd|2006|07|11|2016|08|01}} |
| 6
| 60px | Greg Burke | 1 August 2016 | 31 December 2018 | {{ayd|2016|08|01|2018|12|31}} |
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| – | 60px | {{ill|Alessandro Gisotti|it}} | 31 December 2018 | 21 July 2019 | {{ayd|2018|12|31|2019|07|21}} |
| 7
| 60px | Matteo Bruni | 21 July 2019 | Incumbent | {{ayd|2019|07|21}} |
Vice Directors
- Ciro Benedettini (unknown, 2012, unknown)
- Paloma García Ovejero (2016–2018)
- Cristiane Murray (2019–present)
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Holy See Press Office}}
- {{official website|https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/index.htm}}
- [https://www.vaticannews.va Vatican News website]
- [https://www.vatican.va/news_services/index.htm Index of Vatican news services]
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Category:Multilingual news services