Pope appoints Catholic church’s first female prefect

The pope decided on Monday that Sister Simona Brambilla will lead the Dicastery for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Brambilla, who will turn 60 in March, is the first female prefect in the Catholic church’s history, the Vatican said. She has served as secretary of the dicastery since October 2023, according to the Vatican. The Italian nun previously served in Mozambique as a missionary and also worked as a nurse.

What is this “Dicastery for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life?” The department focuses on matters of consecrated life—how priests and other religious figures live. It also focuses on the management of societies of apostolic life—facilities where a group of men or women live, without religious vows, to pursue a shared purpose. Societies of apostolic life are different from convents.

Have women held other leadership positions in the church before this? Pope Francis has previously appointed women to other leadership positions, according to the Vatican. Barbara Jatta became the director of the Vatican museums in 2016 and Sister Raffaella Petrini became secretary general of the governorate in 2022. The latter position was previously reserved for a bishop. The pope has also appointed women to other undersecretary positions.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report in The Sift about Pope Francis coming under fire for recent comments about the war in Gaza.