Simona Brambilla appointed as head of Vatican's main body

Simona Brambilla has been appointed as the first woman to head one of the Vatican's main institutions.

For the first time in history, 59-year-old nun Simona Brambilla has been appointed as the first woman to head one of the Vatican's major institutions. She took over the presidency of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Missionary Life on behalf of Pope Francis.

Born in the Italian city of Monteza, Simona studied nursing but then joined the Missionary Sisters of Consolation. She directed the institution from 2011 to 2023, which was filled with many rich experiences as a missionary in Mozambique. 

Her appointment confirms that Brambilla, as the highest authority in the institution, will be responsible for overseeing religious communities of men and women and managing their relationships with their followers. Simona's appointment is a confirmation of Pope Francis' desire to elevate the role of women in leadership of the Catholic Church.

"I ask God to bless us to open our hearts even more. To receive this divine inspiration and allow it to transform us as individuals, as society, as the Church and as humanity," Simona Brambilla declared last month.

At the same time as appointing Simona as head of the Vatican religious institution, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime as his assistant to assist Simona in her duties, but the Pope's action raised doubts among observers about the division of responsibilities and Brambilla's true role.

Dr. Sol Prieto, a social scientist and professor of society and religion at the University of Buenos Aires, said about Simona's appointment: "Brambilla's appointment is a confirmation of a long-standing fact, the numerical superiority of women in the Church at different levels. But this recognition is not limited to statistics. It is related to internal dialogue within the religious community. This appointment is a sign of the process of reflection that the Church is experiencing. In other words, a period of discussion and exchange of ideas that takes place within the framework of the meetings known as Synods in the Catholic Church."

Simona also said last month about the Synod councils: "The Synod is a kind of inspiration, a whisper, and a movement that transforms, liberates, unites, and harmonizes without creating superficial egalitarianism."

It should be noted that synods are councils in which Catholic Church leaders address important issues such as family, marriage, and priests. Pope Francis introduced reforms in the last synod, which provided conditions for priests, nuns, and lay women and men to participate in these meetings on equal terms with bishops.