Pope Francis has appointed Sister Simona Brambilla to lead the Vatican office responsible for overseeing religious orders for both men and women, marking her as the first woman to hold a top position within the Holy See. This move aligns with the Pope's commitment to increasing women's leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church.
Sister Brambilla's appointment comes alongside Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime, who has been named as the pro-prefect, raising questions about the distribution of responsibilities between the two leaders. Critics have expressed concerns that this co-leadership may undermine Sister Brambilla's authority.
The department, officially known as the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, oversees a significant number of religious orders, with statistics indicating that as of 2022, there were approximately 128,500 priests and 599,228 women in religious orders globally. The department also manages various lay movements.
Prior to 2019, the Vatican department had only male members, leading to longstanding complaints from both religious sisters and bishops regarding the lack of female representation in decision-making roles. Since then, Pope Francis has progressively appointed women to key positions, including the recent appointment of seven women as members of the department and the reform of the Roman Curia to allow laypeople, including women, to become prefects.
Sister Brambilla, who is 59 years old, has a background as a professional nurse and holds a doctorate in psychology. She has served as the superior of her religious order from 2011 to 2023, succeeding Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz.
While some critics argue that Pope Francis has been slow in promoting women to top positions, there has been a notable increase in female representation within the Vatican over the past decade. The percentage of women working at the Vatican rose from 19.2 percent in 2013 to 23.4 percent in 2023.
Additionally, two years ago, Pope Francis allowed women to vote at a bishops' meeting focused on the church's future, where the role of women was a central topic. However, discussions regarding the ordination of women as deacons remain unresolved.
Overall, Sister Brambilla's appointment is viewed as a significant step forward, though the arrangement with the pro-prefect suggests ongoing challenges in achieving full equality for women within the Vatican's leadership structure.