VATICAN CITY: 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.

“The Press Office has a new director, Matteo Bruni, who knows perfectly how we work and has been appreciated over the years for his people skills and professionalism,” said Paolo Ruffini, the head of Vatican communications.

Bruni, 42, said the appointment was “an honour” and he was “grateful for the trust of the Holy Father”.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019