Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Tiziana Merletti, former Superior General of the Francis-can Sisters of the Poor, as Secre-tary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The Dicastery is responsible for orders and religious congregations, as well as secular institutes.
As Secretary, Sr Merletti will serve under Sr Simona Brambilla, who was appointed to lead the Dicastery in January–becoming the first woman ever to lead a Vatican department.
From 2023 to 2025, Sr Bram-billa had served as Secretary of the Dicastery, the role now held by Sr. Merletti. The Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life is Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime.
Sr Merletti is the third woman to hold the position of Secretary within a dicastery of the Roman Curia, following Sister Alessandra Smerilli at the Dicastery for Pro-moting Integral Human Develop-ment, and her predecessor Sister Simona Brambilla.
With Pope Francis’ Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evan-gelium, laypeople, including women, can now lead dicasteries and become prefects, a role that had previously been reserved for cardinals and archbishops.
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
The executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) meeting in Madrid this week, issued an official statement regarding the leaks
