Pope Francis names Simona Brambilla as Vatican’s first female prefect

Pope Francis has appointed Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, as the first female prefect in the Vatican City.

The 59-year old nun, who takes over from the retiring cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and served as the number two in the religious orders department since 2024.

Her appointment is a major step in the Pope’s quest to give women more leadership positions in the church.

Confirming the appointment in a statement on Monday, the church said Brambilla’s new office is one of the most important in the Vatican.

Officially known as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, her office is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to smaller newer movements in the church.

Brambilla’s historic appointment will see her become the first woman to head the central governing organ of the Catholic church.

Pope Francis also named Ángel Fernández Artime, a cardinal, as a co-leader.

His appointment as co-leader is crucial since the prefect must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental function, which currently can only be done by men.

Brambilla’s appointment was made possible by the Pope’s 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.