Pope Francis has appointed the first woman to a senior managerial position in the Vatican's Secretariat of State. Italian lawyer Francesca Di Giovanni, 66, who has worked for the Vatican for 27 years, will take the position of under-secretary in the Section for Relations with States. The 'unprecedented' move will see Ms Di Giovanni, who is a specialist in international law and human rights, co-ordinate multilateral relations in the Secretariat. Pope Francis also appointed four women as first female councillors for the Synod of Bishops last yearThe Vatican, a sovereign state surrounded by Rome, has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries. Despite the pope's promises to appoint more women to decision-making jobs in the Vatican, Di Giovanni joins only about half a dozen others holding them.

Source: Daily Mail January 15, 2020 19:31 UTC