Vatican appoints American media advisor

Gregory Burke

The American journalist Gregory Burke, who is currently Rome correspondent for Fox News, will shortly take up the post of 'communications advisor' to the Secretariat of State, according to an announcement made by Holy See Press Office Director Fr Federico Lombardi SJ.

Fr Lombardi said that Mr Burke "will have the task of dealing with communications issues in the work of the Secretariat of State, and will oversee relations with the Holy See Press Office and other media institutions of the Holy See".

Born in St Louis, Missouri, Burke, 52, is a member of Opus Dei. He has worked with Fox News since 2001. Before that he worked reported for Time magazine in Rome. He said he was offered the job twice before he decided to accept, commenting: "I'm a bit nervous but very excited. Let's just say it's a challenge."

Burke will be the only person in the Vatican's media offices with extensive experience from outside the world of Catholic media. The last 'outsider' to hold a senior position was Joaquin Navarro-Valls, a Spanish newspaper recruited by Pope John Paul II.

Source: VIS/ICN