Pope Francis continues to pack the Vatican with women into leadership roles. From the Consolata Missionaries, Sister Simona Brambilla will now serve as the first female to head a dicastery of the Roman Curia.

The Vatican News reported that the progressive Jesuit pope handpicked the 59-year-old Italian. She was appointed on Monday, the Solemnity of Epiphany, as Prefect of the Dicastery of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Previously, Brambilla, a member and former superior general of the Consolata Missionary Sisters, served as secretary of the same Dicastery, now becoming the first female to be the Prefect of a Dicastery of the Holy See.

ope Francis also selected 64-year-old Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who served as Cardinal in the Consistory in September 2023, as Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery.

The Spaniard was the rector major of the Salesians last year, reported the Catholic News Agency. The appointment of an ordained bishop as pro-prefect of the same dicastery was mandated under Church laws regarding governing powers.

On the other hand, Brambilla has missionary experience in Mozambique dating back to the late 1990s. She was also a nurse before leading the Consolata Missionary Sister Institute from 2011 to May 2023. Brambilla holds an advanced degree in psychology, where she taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

With Pope Francis, women have been given more of a presence in the Vatican leadership. His efforts have been regarded as a "hallmark of his pontificate."

Data from the Holy See and Vatican City State from 2013 to 2023 shows a change, indicating the percentage of women increased by 4.2% or from 19.2% to 23.4%.

Such pathways have opened up under the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium of 2022. Pope Francis has made it more possible for laypeople, including women, to take charge, leading a Dicastery and even becoming a Prefect. The Prefect role had previously only been available to Cardinals and Archbishops.

Pope Francis has reportedly appointed two women to leadership positions in Vatican City State. In 2016, he picked Sister Barbara Jatta as Director of the Vatican Museums, a position previously led by laypeople. Eight years later, he selected Sister Raffaella Petrini as Secretary General of the Governorate, the second-ranking post in the Vatican City State.

Pope Francis has also led the charge for numerous female Undersecretaries, including Lina Ghisoni and Gabriella Gambino, at the Dicastery of Laity, Family, and Life. Sister Carmen Ros Nortes of the Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation now serves as Undersecretary at the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Sister Nathalie Becquart serves as Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod. Sister Cristiane Murray is the Deputy Director of the Holy See Press Office. Sister Charlotte Kreuter-Kirchof is the Deputy Coordinator of the Council for the Economy. Sister Nataša Govekar heads the theological-pastoral department of the Dicastery for Communication, and Sister Emilce Cuda is the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Brambilla and Sister María Lía Zervino were appointed on December 13, 2024, as members of the 16th Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat. In 2022, Zervino was appointed as a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.

Women are now seizing traditionally male roles under the leadership of this current pontificate. But is the female empowerment effort by the pope really what the Roman Catholic Church needs or is looking for?

Probably not.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5659879&forum_id=2).#48524279)

heh

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5659879&forum_id=2).#48526157)