Continuing a trend begun by Pope Francis, the Pope today named a Religious sister to lead a Vatican dicastery as prefect, ahead of a cardinal who will become the pro-prefect.
Reliably anticipated beforehand by Messa in Latino, Tuesday’s daily bulletin saw Pope Leo XIV announce Sister Alessandra Smerilli as the incoming prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (IHD). She thus replaces outgoing prefect Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ, who turns 80 in July and therefore retires from the post.
