Sister Simona Brambilla, first woman to head a Vatican diary

“Perhaps I will soon appoint a woman prefect (head) of a dicastery,” Pope Francis said, in a joking tone, to the participants of the synod on synodality last October. On January 6, he took action by appointing Sister Simona Brambilla prefect of one of the sixteen dicasteries (in other words, the ministries) of the Vatican Curia. And not the smallest. The “dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life” oversees more than 800,000 people: all celibate consecrated persons, monks and nuns, religious men and women engaged in evangelization, teaching, action social, etc.

She participates in the synod of bishops on synodality

In other words, the spearhead of the Church, three-quarters of which are women. Sister Brambilla, 59, embodies them ideally: a nurse, she entered religious life with the Missionaries of the Consolata, tasted the mission in Mozambique, obtained a doctorate in psychology, and directed her Institute from 2011 to 2023. Spotted by François , she will participate in the synod of bishops on synodality in 2023. The pope immediately named her number two (secretary) of the dicastery for consecrated life.

Since 2022, lay people can govern a dicastery

The decision of the Jesuit pope was expected: since 2022, the constitution reforming the Curia allows lay people, men or women, to govern a dicastery. It is no longer necessary to be ordained a bishop. A development justified with regard to history as well as theology: “Linking all powers to the priesthood is a recent trend,” observes Father Bernard Lesoing, the theologian responsible for training at the Saint-Martin Community. Abbesses, in the Middle Ages, exercised jurisdictional power. Today, lay people, according to their charisms, participate in the government of the Church, as we see in our dioceses. This appointment constitutes a rebalancing.”

The change is unanimously welcomed, with some reservations however. Anne-Marie Pelletier, member of the Roman Commission appointed by Francis to explore the question of a female diaconate, welcomes “the progressive incorporation of women, equal to men, into ecclesial responsibilities. A laborious progression, but which seems very irreversible. The theologian, however, underlines “the great fear of women’s access to the diaconate, an ordained ministry, even if it has nothing to do with the priesthood.”

The promotion of Sister Simona also involves an ambiguity: the pope appointed alongside her a pro-prefect (a position created for the occasion), in the person of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime. As bishop, this Salesian religious enjoys the prerogatives linked to the sacrament of Order… For Lucetta Scaraffia, historian specializing in the history of women in the Church, “it is obvious that a nun cannot disobey a cardinal, Sister Brambilla will not have total authority. It’s mostly a facade appointment.” The former editor-in-chief of the monthly “Women Church World” published by the Vatican, still sees active clericalism at the heart of the institution: “Nuns holding functions in the Curia are generally chosen first of all for their obedience. »

Rome was not built in a day, says the proverb. François, faithful to his method, moves the lines in small steps. Today, the balance of the court machine is modified. There will be no going back.