Sister Simona Brambilla holds a doctorate in psychology and has served as superior general of the Consolata Missionaries and as a missionary. She is also a professional nurse.

Women are still excluded from ordination as priests, and discussions about female ordination continue to create divisions within the Church.

The move marks a major step in Pope Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in the church, while standing firm on not allowing them to be ordained as priests.View on euronews

Pope Francis on Monday named Sister Simona Brambilla the first female prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Rome: Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, tapping Sister Simona Brambilla to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the world’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Pope Francis' aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office. He is appointing Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the church's religious orders.

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