Pope tweaks a law allowing a woman to head the Vatican City State, months after a nun was appointed

Pope Leo XIV amended a Vatican law on Friday to correct a technical issue that arose after Pope Francis appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as the first woman to head the Vatican City State administration.

The revised law removes language that previously required the president of the Vatican City State administration to be a cardinal, a position restricted to male priests. This legal change formalizes and supports Francis’s groundbreaking appointment made in February.

Sister Petrini, a 56-year-old Italian nun, now oversees the 44-hectare (110-acre) sovereign territory in the heart of Rome. Her historic appointment represents a significant milestone in Francis’s 12-year effort to elevate women to key decision-making roles within the Vatican’s traditionally male-dominated hierarchy.

The legal amendment addresses practical complications that emerged following Petrini’s appointment. Most notably, she was unable to deliver the economic status report of Vatican City State during the closed-door meetings of cardinals that preceded the May conclave where Leo XIV was elected. These pre-conclave gatherings, known as general congregations, have traditionally been restricted to cardinals only.

In his amendment, Pope Leo suggested that Petrini’s appointment established a precedent rather than being an exception. He emphasized that governance of Vatican territory constitutes a form of service and responsibility that should characterize communion within the church hierarchy.

“This form of shared responsibility makes it appropriate to consolidate certain solutions that have been developed so far in response to governance needs that are proving increasingly complex and pressing,” Leo wrote in the amendment.

Petrini’s role carries significant financial and administrative importance within the Vatican. Her office manages the Vatican Museums, a primary revenue source for the Holy See. Additionally, she oversees infrastructure, telecommunications, and healthcare services for the city-state. The commission she leads approves laws governing the territory and reviews annual budgets and accounts.

Vatican observers note that Petrini’s appointment reflects broader efforts to modernize Vatican governance while maintaining theological traditions. During Francis’s papacy, women achieved unprecedented advances in Vatican management, with several appointed to senior positions previously held exclusively by male clergy.

The Catholic Church continues to reserve the priesthood for men, however. Despite the administrative advancements for women during Francis’s tenure, there has been no indication of movement toward allowing women to receive ministerial ordination.

This legal amendment highlights the evolving nature of Vatican governance and the practical challenges that arise when traditional structures meet modern leadership appointments. It represents a formal acknowledgment that non-cardinals—including women—can effectively lead key Vatican institutions.

The Vatican City State, established as a sovereign entity in 1929 under the Lateran Treaty with Italy, functions as both the administrative center of the global Catholic Church and as an independent territory with its own governance structures. While small in size, it wields significant influence as the headquarters of a religious institution with approximately 1.3 billion followers worldwide.

Sister Petrini’s leadership comes at a challenging time for Vatican finances, which have faced pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on tourism revenue and ongoing reform efforts to increase transparency and accountability in financial operations.

The legal change underscores Pope Leo’s apparent commitment to continuing Francis’s initiatives toward greater inclusion of women in Vatican leadership, while addressing practical governance issues that arise from such historic appointments.