Pope Francis has made history by appointing the first woman to head a major Vatican office. Italian nun Sister Simona Brambilla has been named prefect of the department responsible for overseeing all of the Catholic Church's religious orders.
This groundbreaking appointment is part of Pope Francis' efforts to increase women's leadership roles within the church. While women have previously been appointed to secondary positions in some Vatican offices, this is the first time a woman has been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing body of the Catholic Church.
Vatican Media confirmed the historic nature of Brambilla's appointment, emphasizing that she is the first woman prefect in the Vatican. Alongside Brambilla, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime has been named as a co-leader or 'pro-prefect' to support her in this role.
The Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the office now led by Sister Simona Brambilla, is a crucial department within the Vatican. It oversees all religious orders, ranging from well-established orders like the Jesuits and Franciscans to newer, smaller movements.
Sister Simona Brambilla, aged 59 and a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order, previously served as the second-in-command in the religious order department. She succeeds Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, who is retiring at the age of 77.
This appointment signifies a significant milestone in the Vatican's history and reflects a shift towards greater gender diversity in leadership positions within the Catholic Church.
