On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion
- Pope Francis has appointed Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman prefect of a dicastery, reflecting the increasing presence of women in the management if not the ministry of the Catholic Church. Brambilla will head the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She previously served as the Superior General of the Consolata Missionaries and had been the secretary of the same dicastery since October 7, 2023. Since Pope Francis’s pontificate began, the presence of women in the Vatican has increased, with notable appointments including Barbara Jatta as Director of the Vatican Museums and Sister Raffaella Petrini as Secretary General of the Governorate. (Source: Vatican News, January 6)
