![Holy Mass for Palm Sunday with Pope Francis greg burke vatican director press office francis](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/greg-burke-vatican-director-press-office-francis.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
The Vatican announced Monday that American journalist Greg Burke will step into one of the most visible roles for the church and replace Father Federico Lombardi as director of the Holy See press office.
In the same press release, the Vatican said Spanish journalist Paloma Garcia Ovejero will fill the role of vice director of the press office that Burke vacates. It is the first time a lay woman has held that position.
As the Pope’s top spokesperson, Burke will be one of the most visible figures in the Vatican, where prominent positions rarely held by Americans. Burke has spent over two decades in Rome as a journalist with National Catholic Register, Fox News and TIME. Both appointments of foreign journalists are notable, since Italians are often the top administrators in the Catholic Church.
When asked about being the first woman to hold her position, Ovejero told Catholic News Service, “I am in no way the first woman. The first woman above all in the church, in the Vatican and in the press office is the Virgin Mary.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race , Endorses Harris to Replace Him
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Stop Feeling Bad About Sweating
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com