Pope Francis has released an Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio instituting the new Secretariat for Communications and nominating Mgr Dario Edoardo Viganò as its first Prefect. The Motu Proprio on “The current communicative context” was published in Rome on Saturday, 27 June 2015.
The Motu Proprio establishes that all communications offices will be incorporated under the direction of the new Secretariat for Communications, including the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Internet Service, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center (CTV), the Osservatore Romano, Vatican Typography, Photograph Service, and the Vatican Publishing House (Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
The new Dicastery will also work in union with the Secretariat of State for the direction of the institutional website of the Holy See, www.vatican.va and the Twitter account of the Holy Father: @pontifex.
Those nominated to direct the Secretariat are:
Prefect
Rev Mgr Dario Edoardo Viganò
Current Director of the Vatican Television Center (CTV)
Secretary
Rev Mgr Lucio Adrian Ruiz
Current Office Head of the Vatican Internet Service
Director General
Dr Paolo Nusiner
Current Director General of Avvenire, Nuova Editoriale Italiana
Vice Director General
Dr Giacomo Ghisani
Current Head of International Relations Office and Legal Affairs of Vatican Radio and member of the Administrative Council of the Vatican Television Center (CTV)
The Secretariat for Communications officially came into existence on 29 June 2015 and has its provisional seat Palazzo Pio on Piazza Pio 3.
Please find below a Vatican Radio translation of the Motu Proprio.
Establishment of the Secretariat for Communications
The current communication context, characterised by the presence and the development of digital media, by the factors of convergence and interactivity, requires a rethinking of the information system of the Holy See and dedication to a reorganisation which, recognising the history of internal development of the asset of communications of the Apostolic See, must proceed decisively towards integration and a unified management.
For these reasons, I desire that all organisations which, thus far have dealt with communications in different ways, be brought together in a new Dicastery of the Roman Curia, to be called the Secretariat for Communications. Thus, the communication system of the Holy See will respond in an ever more efficacious manner to the needs of the mission of the Church.
Therefore, after reviewing reports and studies, and recently having received the study on feasibility and having heard the unanimous opinion of the Council of Cardinals, I institute the Secretariat for Communications and establish the following:
Art. 1
Into the Dicastery, as presented by the Commission of Vatican Media, instituted on 30 April 2015, the following Organizations will be incorporated: Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Internet Service, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center (CTV), the Osservatore Romano, Vatican Typography, Photograph Service, and the Vatican Publishing House (Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
Art. 2
These organisations, from the date of publication of this Motu Proprio, must continue their own activities, in accordance, however, with the indications given by the Secretariat for Communications.
Art. 3
The new Department, in agreement with the Secretary of State, will assume the institutional website of the Holy See: www.vatican.va and the Twitter account of the Supreme Pontiff: @pontifex
Art. 4
The Secretariat for Communications will begin its duties on 29 June 2015, having as a provisional headquarters Palazzo Pio, Piazza Pia, 3, 00120 Vatican City.
Everything which I have deliberated with this Apostolic Letter issued under the form of Motu Proprio, I prescribe it to be observed in all its parts, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, even if worthy of special mention, and I establish that it be promulgated by publication in the newspaper L’ Osservatore Romano and, subsequently, in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 27 June 2015, the third of my Pontificate.
Francesco P.P.
