The Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, received this week the Luka Brajnovic Award for freedom of expression and professional dedication, given by the University of Navarre in Spain.

The Luka Brajnovic Award was first granted in 1997 and is bestowed upon distinguished professionals in the communications media for their commitment to the dignity of the person and human values.

Joaquin Navarro-Valls was the tenth person to receive the award, which in previous years has been bestowed upon Violeta Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua, and filmmaker David Puttnam.

Navarro-Valls obtained degrees in Medicine and Surgery in 1961.  In 1968 he graduated from the school of journalism at the University of Navarre.

He worked as a journalist for the Spanish daily ABC from 1977 to 1984, when he was tasked to head up the Vatican’s Press Office.