Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, has been awarded the 2025 Pauline Prize, a prestigious honor presented annually by the Pauline Communication and Culture Association (ODV).
The award ceremony took place on May 27 during a conference dedicated to Pope Francis’ message for the 59th World Day of Social Communications. The event, held at the University of Mary Most Holy of the Assumption (LUMSA), was entitled “Pope Francis: Share with Gentleness the Hope That Is in Your Hearts,” and was organized in collaboration with partners in the communication sector: the Order of Journalists of Lazio, the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI) of Lazio, and the Italian Catholic Web Association (WeCa). It was held during Communication Week, an annual initiative promoted by the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul.
At the heart of the conference was a reflection on the Pope’s message, emphasizing the urgent need to “disarm” communication, freeing it from all forms of aggression and restoring a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect.
Sister Paola Fosson, FSP, president of the Pauline Communication and Culture Association, presented the award to Paolo Ruffini with the following tribute: “Paolo Ruffini is a key figure in Vatican communication and the wider world of Catholic media. Drawing on his extensive experience in both secular and religious media, he has developed an inclusive, dialogical approach that encourages the exchange of ideas. His work is consistently marked by faithfulness to the Gospel message and attentiveness to the signs of the times, always at the service of the Church’s magisterium.”
In the second part of the conference, Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP, spoke on the theme “Communicating with Gentleness the Hope That Is Within Us.” She received a special commendation from the Italian Catholic Web Association (WeCa) for her contribution to digital and pastoral formation by writing scripts for the organization’s online tutorials on digital formation for adults and youth.
