Pope Names First Woman to Lead Vatican Dicastery
Pope Francis appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, 59, on Monday as the first woman prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Facts
- Pope Francis appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, 59, on Monday as the first woman prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.[1][2]
- The appointment was made possible by Francis' 2022 apostolic constitution reform, which allowed laypeople and women to head Vatican dicasteries — positions previously reserved for cardinals and bishops.[3][4]
- Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime was simultaneously appointed as pro-prefect, a necessary arrangement since certain sacramental functions can only be performed by ordained clergy.[5][6]
- Brambilla, a former nurse and missionary in Mozambique, served as superior general of the Consolata Missionaries from 2011 to 2023 and secretary of the same dicastery since October 2023.[2][4]
- The dicastery oversees approximately 700K consecrated individuals worldwide, including 559,228 "women religious" and 128,559 priests belonging to religious orders.[1]
- The percentage of women working in the Vatican has increased from 19.2% in 2013 to 23.4% in 2023. Several other women hold significant Vatican positions, including Sister Raffaella Petrini as secretary general of Vatican City State.[3][4]
Sources: [1]America Magazine, [2]Catholic News Agency, [3]Associated Press, [4]Vatican, [5]NBC and [6]CBC.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by The Times of India and The Daily Guardian. This appointment marks a historic milestone in Vatican leadership — a revolutionary step forward in Vatican governance. It breaks centuries of male-only leadership in top positions and demonstrates concrete progress in giving women more authority in church decision-making.
- Narrative B, as provided by Reuters and The Guardian. While Sister Brambilla's appointment shows progress in administrative roles, it maintains traditional and restrictive theological boundaries. Women remain excluded from priesthood and certain sacramental functions, requiring a male pro-prefect to fulfill these duties. There is still room for improvement in terms of gender inclusion within the Catholic Church power structure.
