Pope Francis has made an historic appointment by naming Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman to lead a major Vatican office. On January 6, 2025, Sister Brambilla was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the department responsible for overseeing all religious orders within the Catholic Church.
Sister Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries Sisters Institute and has an extensive background in missionary work and leadership. She previously served as the Superior General of her order from 2011 to 2023 and was appointed Secretary of the same Dicastery in October 2023, becoming the first woman to hold that position.
This groundbreaking appointment is part of Pope Francis’s ongoing effort to include more women in leadership roles within the Vatican. While women have previously held second-in-command positions in various Vatican offices, Sister Brambilla is the first to head a dicastery, marking a significant step toward gender inclusivity in the governance of the Catholic Church. Full article here.
Photo courtesy of Vatican News.
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