Pope Francis broke one of the Vatican’s “stained-glass ceilings” on Monday by appointing an Italian sister as the prefect of a Vatican dicastery for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.

Pope Francis this week made the novel decision to appoint the first-ever woman as prefect of a Vatican department, naming Italian Consolata Sister Simona Brambilla as head of the Dicastery for Religious.

While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, none were named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis on Monday named Sister Simona Brambilla the first female prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office. He is appointing Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the church's religious orders.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, tapping Sister Simona Brambilla to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the world’s religious orders.

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