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Pope Francis Appoints Italian Nun Sister Simona Brambilla to Head Vatican's Dicastery for Institutes

Jan 6, 2025, 03:42 PM

Pope Francis has appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, a 59-year-old Italian nun from the Consolata Missionaries, as the first woman to head a major Vatican office. She will serve as prefect of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a department responsible for overseeing all Catholic religious orders. This appointment marks a significant step in Francis' efforts to increase women's leadership roles within the church's governance, although it does not extend to ordaining women as priests. Brambilla previously served as the No. 2 in the same department and succeeds Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz. The appointment was enabled by Pope Francis' 2022 reform of the Holy See's constitution, which allows laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery. Alongside Brambilla, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime was named as a co-leader, or 'pro-prefect,' due to theological requirements for the role.