Pope Francis on Thursday appointed a new Vatican spokesman, one of the most demanding PR jobs in the world, charged with grappling with a whirlwind papal schedule and the profound repercussions of the Church’s child sex abuse scandal. British-born Matteo Bruni, who has worked in the Holy See Press Office since 2009 and coordinated the press on the pontiff’s international trips since 2013, takes over from interim spokesman Alessandro Gisotti. Francis has apologised for predatory priests but cover-ups in the Vatican have severely damaged trust in the centuries-old institution, and there is still much to be done to protect minors from clerical paedophiles.
