Pope Francis Appoints First Woman to Key Office of Catholic Church

Pope Francis today named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, choosing nun Simona Brambilla to head the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders.

It's a major step in the religious leader's goal of giving women more leadership roles, since until now women have only served as number two in some Vatican offices.

With the appointment of the Italian nun, a woman has been named for the first time as head of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See's Curia, the central governing body of the Catholic Church.

The Vatican's daily bulletin calls Brambilla "prefect," while a cardinal, Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian, has been named as co-leader, or "pro-prefect."

The AP news agency notes that a prefect must be able to celebrate Mass, a Catholic rite, and other sacramental functions that can currently only be performed by men.

The department, officially known as the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, is one of the most important in the Vatican, responsible for all religious orders, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the newest and smallest movements. Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries and was number 2 in the department for religious orders last year. The nun replaces retired Brazilian Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, 77.