VATICAN CITY — On Monday, Pope Francis made a significant announcement appointing Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman to lead a key Vatican office. Sister Brambilla, an Italian nun, has been appointed as the prefect of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a position overseeing all religious orders within the Catholic Church.
This landmark appointment aligns with Pope Francis’ ongoing efforts to elevate women into more prominent roles within the church’s hierarchy. Although women have previously held positions as deputy leaders in various Vatican ministries, this marks the first instance of a woman assuming the role of prefect in the Holy See Curia, the governing body of the Catholic Church.
Vatican Media recognized the significance of Sister Brambilla’s new role, highlighting her as “the first woman prefect in the Vatican.” Such a position is pivotal, overseeing a wide array of religious orders, including the Jesuits and Franciscans, as well as newer congregations.
With this appointment, Sister Brambilla will now oversee approximately 600,000 Catholic nuns globally, addressing the needs and challenges they face, alongside 129,000 priests who belong to religious orders. Thomas Groome, a prominent theology professor at Boston College, expressed gratitude for Brambilla’s appointment, viewing it as a crucial step toward inclusivity. He remarked, “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”
Groome also noted that nothing in church doctrine would prevent the pope from elevating Sister Brambilla to the rank of cardinal, stating that it would have been a given if she were a man. However, in a sign of the transitional nature of this appointment, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian, was appointed as a co-prefect alongside her. This dual leadership arrangement was deemed necessary because the head of the office requires the ability to perform Mass and other sacramental duties that are traditionally restricted to men.
Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the department chair for religion and philosophy at Manhattan University, initially celebrated Sister Brambilla’s historic appointment but expressed disappointment over the necessity of a male co-prefect. She commented, “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vatican dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”
At 59 years old, Brambilla is a member of the Consolata Missionaries and has been serving as the second-in-command in the department for religious orders since 2023. She succeeds Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, who is retiring at the age of 77. Pope Francis enabled this advancement for women in leadership roles when he revised the Holy See’s constitution in 2022, allowing non-clerics, including women, to head dicasteries.
Sister Brambilla brings with her a wealth of experience, having worked as a nurse and served as a missionary in Mozambique. From 2011 to 2023, she held leadership within her religious order before becoming the department’s secretary. One of the pressing challenges she now faces is the ongoing decline in the number of Catholic nuns worldwide, which has decreased by about 10,000 annually, dropping from around 750,000 in 2010 to around 600,000 in recent years, according to Vatican statistics.
Brambilla’s groundbreaking appointment showcases Pope Francis’ commitment to demonstrating that women can assume significant leadership roles within the Catholic Church’s structure, despite the current restrictions against their ordination as priests. Women in the church have long voiced concerns about their limited status within an institution that reserves the priesthood exclusively for men.
While maintaining the ban on female priests, Pope Francis has nonetheless fostered an increase in women’s representation within the Vatican. Since his papacy began, the proportion of women employed within the Vatican has risen from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, with a higher percentage of women—26%—in the Curia alone.
Notable women in leadership roles include Sister Raffaella Petrini, who serves as the first female secretary general of the Vatican City State, overseeing critical operations such as health care and the police force, along with Barbara Jatta, who is at the helm of the Vatican Museums. Sister Alessandra Smerilli holds the position of deputy in the Vatican’s development office, while other women have secured under-secretary roles, further indicating a slow yet positive shift towards gender inclusivity within the Catholic Church’s governance.
