Pope Leo XIV Appoints Nun to Vatican Leadership Role
Leo's appointment of women to senior roles in the Vatican build on the precedent set by his predecessor, Pope Francis.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has named Sister Tiziana Merletti, a 66-year-old Franciscan Sister of the Poor, as secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Merletti will report to Sister Simona Brambilla, appointed prefect in January. For the first time in history, two women will lead this Vatican department, overseeing consecrated life globally.
Merletti, born in Pineto, Italy, on September 30, 1959, served as superior general of her congregation from 2004 to 2013 and holds a civil law degree from the Libera Università Abruzzese (1984) and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University (1992). Currently, she is a professor of canon law at the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome and collaborates with the International Union of Superiors General.
This appointment aligns with the legacy of the late Pope Francis, who significantly increased women’s leadership in the Vatican. Under his 2022 apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, laypeople and women became eligible to lead dicasteries, roles once reserved for cardinals and archbishops. Vatican data shows female representation rose from 19.2% to 23.4% during Francis’ pontificate.
Merletti’s expertise in canon law and Church governance positions her to address the dicastery’s responsibilities, including the governance, discipline, and rights of religious institutes worldwide, reinforcing the Vatican’s commitment to inclusive leadership.
