Pope Leo XIV has appointed Italian Sister Alessandra Smerilli, an economist, to head the Vatican office responsible for migrants, the environment, and development, marking his first major appointment of a woman to the Holy See hierarchy. Smerilli, currently the No. 2 official at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will replace Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is retiring.
This appointment by Leo mirrors the approach of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who consistently promoted women to senior management positions within the Holy See. These actions align with calls from women within the church for greater decision-making authority.
In a dual nomination, Cardinal Fabio Baggio, currently an undersecretary in the same dicastery, has been named a "pro-prefect." This recognizes that certain leadership roles within Vatican departments require ordained clergy. Baggio has also been tasked with leading the Vatican’s Borgo Laudato Si environmental educational center. The Catholic Church reserves priesthood for men, and women have historically expressed concerns about their status despite fulfilling a substantial portion of the church's operational work, including running educational institutions and healthcare facilities, and passing on religious traditions.