Pope Francis has made an Ital-
ian lawyer the first woman to
hold a management position
in the Vatican’s most impor-
tant office.
Francesca Di Giovanni, 66, will
serve as undersecretary for multilat-
eral affairs in the Secretariat of State.
She will be responsible for co-ordi-
nating the Holy See’s relations with
groups including the UN.
Pope Francis has been vocal in his
support for women holding greater
positions of authority in the Vatican.
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“I hope that my being a woman
might reflect itself positively in this
task, even if they are gifts that I cer-
tainly find in my male colleagues as
well,” she told Vatican media.
Ms Di Giovanni has worked for the
Vatican for 27 years and holds a law
degree.
She has specialised in areas includ-
ing migration and refugees, the status
of women, intellectual property and
tourism.
“The Holy Father has made an
unprecedented decision, certainly,
which, beyond myself personally,
represents an indication of an atten-
tion towards women,” she said.
“But the responsibility is connected
to the job, rather than to the fact of
Francesca Di Giovanni being a woman.”
