Pope Francis has made history by appointing Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman to head a dicastery in the Roman Curia, furthering his commitment to increasing female leadership in the Vatican.
The 59-year-old Italian nun will serve as the prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, alongside Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who was appointed pro-prefect earlier this year. Her appointment, announced on Monday, marks another milestone in Pope Francis’ efforts to elevate women to influential roles in the Church.
Brambilla, a member of the Consolata Missionary Sisters, previously served as secretary of the same department since October 2023. A former missionary in Mozambique and a psychology professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, she also led her religious congregation from 2011 to 2023.
She joins a growing number of women holding significant Vatican positions under Pope Francis, including Sister Raffaella Petrini, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, and lay leaders Gabriella Gambino and Linda Ghisoni.
