Vatican relaunches women's magazine team after resignations

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican announced a new editorial leadership team for its women's magazine Tuesday, following the clamorous exit of its previous editor who alleged a campaign of delegitimization by the Holy See's communications operation.

Three of the members of the editorial team of Women Church World previously worked for the magazine and stayed on following the resignation of founder Lucetta Scaraffia and other editorial committee members in March.

The new magazine "coordinator" is Rita Pinci, the former editor-in-chief of Rome daily Il Messaggero who currently works for the TV2000 broadcaster of the Italian bishops conference. The prefect of the Vatican's communications office, Paolo Ruffini, similarly worked at both Il Messaggero and headed TV2000.

In a statement Tuesday, Pinci said she had been assured "complete freedom" to publish the monthly by the editor of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Andrea Monda.

Scaraffia had alleged that Monda had tried to interfere in the magazine, which she founded in 2012, and planned to take over as editor. No editor of the magazine was announced Tuesday, just Pinci as "coordinator."

Monda strongly denied Scaraffia's claims and said at most he sought to bolster other female voices and viewpoints in the newspaper.

Under Scaraffia, Women Church World ruffled Vatican feathers in 2018 and 2019 with articles denouncing the servitude and sexual abuse of nuns by clergy.