Journalists and news anchors have taken on a star-like quality in the minds of many viewers. At times the person reading the news is more important than the news itself. In this climate of fifteen minutes of fame, the figure of the official spokesperson—whether for presidents or international corporations—can capture the imagination of the public. This was the case with Dr. Joaquín Navarro-Valls, who led the Vatican press office for over 22 years. During the illness and death of John Paul II, his became a household name, his face synonymous with the Vatican. A serious man, he found himself in a glaring media spotlight. The same has happened to his successor, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, but the Italian Jesuit’s reserve and simple manner has so far managed to keep the onslaught of media attention at bay and the emphasis firmly on his work: to deliver the pope’s words to the world.In July 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Lombardi director of the Holy See Press Office. The appointment—made when the pope was on vacation—took many by surprise for a number of reasons. First, few had expected it; Navarro-Valls had served John Paul II for his entire pontificate. Also, many were taken aback by the appointment of a religious to a post regarded as the prerogative of a layperson.
The assumption was that only a non-cleric would be capable of translating the complex theological and doctrinal issues of the Church into lay terms. Last, Lombardi already had a job, actually two: he headed Vatican Radio and also the Vatican Television Center. Was all Vatican media going to be amalgamated into one organization headed by Lombardi? How would he reconcile the demands of the three jobs?Almost a year into his new job, the 64-year-old Italian Jesuit maintains, “It’s all in a day’s work.” That was his simple reply when I put those questions to him one evening in his office at Vatican Radio.
Link (here) to the full article and interview in Company Magazine
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