Pope Francis appoints two women in Vatican leadership roles

Vatican News

The number of women in positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia and related bodies is increasing.

Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology

On Friday Pope Francis made new appointments that see female figures in the foreground. In the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, as well as appointing Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone as President, Dr. Raffaella Giuliani, previously an official and member of the body, has been made Secretary of the Commission, taking over the role previously served by the now President. 

Dr. Giuliani is the author of many books and documents on the catacombs, and on 16 September, she was appointed 'Magister' of the Pontifical Academy Cultorum Martyrum.

Dicastery for Culture and Education

More nominations were made in the Dicastery for Culture and Education, where Pope Francis called Professor Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi to the position of Undersecretary. She is currently the Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Professor of Banking Law and Financial Markets Law at the School of Banking finance and insurance at the Catholic University of Milan. Among other things, Professor Sciarrone Alibrandi is also President of the Society of Italian Professors of Law and Economics.

Further appointments

In further appointments, the Holy Father nominated Professor Luca Tuninetti, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, as Secretary of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.