For the first time in the history of the Vatican, a woman will hold the position of governor of the city-state. The current general secretary, Raffaela Petrini, will receive this post in March. informs Vatican News.
The head of the Vatican governorship will change due to the retirement of the current head, Cardinal Fernando Verges Alsaga. Currently, Raffaela Petrini holds the position of general secretary of this department. Pope Francis noted that the involvement of women in the work of the Curia took place gradually, but the results were not noticeable.
“In the governorate, the general secretary, who will become the governor in March, is a nun. Women manage better than us”, he declared.
Raffaela Petrini became the first woman in a high position in the Vatican back in 2021, when Pope Francis appointed her as Secretary General of the Governorate. She was born in Rome on January 15, 1969, received a degree in political science from the “Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (LUISS)” and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
In January 2025, Pope Francis also appointed nun Simona Brambilla as head of the department responsible for the religious orders of the Catholic Church. These appointments demonstrate the desire of the Pontiff to give women more opportunities in the Catholic hierarchy.
During the pontificate of Pope Francis, the percentage of women working in the Vatican, including in leadership positions, has increased from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today.
