Europe

Vatican taps ex-Fox reporter, woman in new spokesman team

Associated Press
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FILE - In this, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, left, and Vatican communications adviser Greg Burke present Pope Benedict XVI's Twitter web page to journalists at the Vatican press hall. Pope Francis has named a former Fox TV correspondent, Greg Burke, to replace his longtime spokesman and tapped a Spanish woman to be his deputy, the first time a woman has held the post. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File) (The Associated Press)

Pope Francis shakes hands with Greg Burke at the Vatican, Monday, July 11, 2016. The pontiff has named a former Fox TV correspondent, Greg Burke, to replace his longtime spokesman and tapped Paloma Garcia Ovejero, of Spain, to be his deputy, the first time a woman has held the post. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Pope Francis poses for a family picture with Greg Burke and Paloma Garcia Ovejero at the Vatican, Monday, July 11, 2016. Pope Francis has named a former Fox TV correspondent, Greg Burke, to replace his longtime spokesman and tapped Paloma Garcia Ovejero, of Spain, to be his deputy, the first time a woman has held the post. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Pope Francis has named a former Fox TV correspondent to replace his longtime spokesman and tapped a Spanish woman to be his deputy, the first time a woman has held the post.

Greg Burke takes over from the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Jesuit like Francis who has been Vatican spokesman for a decade. Burke recently moved in as Lombardi's deputy after working as a communications adviser in the Vatican's secretariat of state.

Burke's deputy will be Paloma Garcia Ovejero, who is the Vatican correspondent for the Spanish broadcaster "Cadena Cope."

The change announced Monday is part of an overhaul of the Vatican's entire communications operations.