From Rome to Chiang Mai: Women redefining leadership in Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., as the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. As an Italian Salesian sister, Smerilli becomes the first woman to lead this major Vatican office.

This appointment follows previous changes in Church governance, such as Pope Francis appointing women to advisory bodies like the Dicastery for Bishops and the International Theological Commission. Additionally, Sister Nathalie Becquart previously became the first woman with voting rights as under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops. These shifts reflect a broader movement within the global Church to involve the baptized, including lay leaders and religious sisters, in its active life and governance.