Pope promotes Italian nun to top migrant role in his first major appointment of a woman to Holy See

Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary general of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, attends a press conference at the Vatican, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.

ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday made his first major appointment of a woman to the Holy See hierarchy, promoting Italian Sister Alessandra Smerilli to head the Vatican office responsible for migrants, the environment and development.

Smerilli, an economist, is currently the No. 2 in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. As prefect, she replaces the retiring Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who turns 80 soon.

With the appointment of Smerilli, Leo appears to be following the lead of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who made a point of promoting women to top-level management positions within the Holy See as part of his response to calls by women for greater decision-making roles in the church.

Earlier this month, Leo named a Mexican-American woman, Maria Montserrat Alvarado, to head the Vatican’s communications operations.

But for more central Holy See offices like Smerilli’s, Leo too is following Francis’ lead by simultaneously naming Cardinal Fabio Baggio as a “pro-prefect” of the office, where he is currently undersecretary.

The dual nominations recognize that sometimes the role of a Vatican department head requires being an ordained priest and cardinal.

Baggio was also given the mandate to head up the Vatican’s Borgo Laudato Si environmental educational center, at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.

The Catholic Church reserves the priesthood for men, and women have long complained of a second-class status despite carrying out the lion’s share of the church’s work running schools, hospitals and passing the faith on to younger generations.

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