Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, a Croatian religious sister of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, as the new vice director of the Holy See Press Office. The religious sister will assume the position on March 1.
The appointment is a change in the department responsible for daily interaction with international media and the official dissemination of the Pontiff’s activities and those of the dicasteries.
Legal profile and experience in communication
Born in Rijeka (Croatia) on June 7, 1989, Sister Krapić holds a degree in Law from the University of Rijeka (2015) and specialized in Public Relations at the University of Zagreb in 2023. She made her vows in the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in August 2023.
Before joining the Roman Curia, she worked as a journalist and as a legal advisor for women victims of domestic violence and other people in vulnerable situations. She was also responsible for communications at Caritas in the Archdiocese of Rijeka.
Since 2023, she has been an official of the Dicastery for Communication and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Social Sciences at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Growing female presence in positions of responsibility
The appointment of Sister Krapić fits into a broader process of increasing the female presence in positions of responsibility within the Holy See. Over the last decade, the number of women working in the Vatican has progressively increased, exceeding 23% of the total staff, according to official data released by the Holy See itself.
Beyond the overall figure of female employees, the most significant change has been the incorporation of women into positions of greater responsibility. In recent years, women have been appointed as members with voting rights in dicasteries and bodies traditionally reserved for cardinals and bishops, as well as heads of administrative, economic, and cultural areas.
Among the most relevant appointments are Sister Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Governorship of Vatican City State; Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums; and Cristiane Murray, vice director of the Holy See Press Office from 2019 until now, who will be replaced by Krapić.
A key area for the communication of the pontificate
The Holy See Press Office plays a strategic role in the institutional communication of the Vatican. In a media environment characterized by the immediacy of information and the constant public exposure of the Pontiff, the challenge goes beyond the dissemination of press releases; it involves coordination, clarity, and crisis management.
With this appointment, Leo XIV continues to shape the team that will accompany his pontificate in one of the most visible areas of the institutional life of the Holy See.