Sister Brambilla and Card. Artime: spiritual children of two saints
For the first time in Church history, a woman becomes head of a Roman Curia dicastery and a Salesian cardinal becomes pro-prefect of the same dicastery
On Jan. 6, 2025, Pope Francis appoints 60-year-old Sister Simona Brambilla, a Consolata missionary, as prefect of the dicastery for Consecrated Life and Apostolic Life: she succeeds Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77, who had led the dicastery since 2011, and until now Sister Brambilla was its secretary.
At the same time, he appoints pro-prefect Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, formerly senior rector of the Salesians.
The pairing of Artime, who is archbishop, with Sister Brambilla is necessary because the nun, like all religious, lacks the power of order, which is necessary to perform certain functions of government in the Church.
Sister Simona Brambilla
She was born in Monza on March 27, 1965. She obtained her diploma as a professional nurse in 1986; at the age of 23, in 1988, she entered the Missionaries of the Consolata; in 1998, she obtained her licentiate in Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University; after her perpetual profession, in Mozambique she worked mainly in youth ministry.
Lecturer (2002-2006) at the Gregorian Institute of Psychology; general councilor (2005-11) of the Missionaries of the Consolata; superior general in 2011, re-elected in 2017, until May 2023, when she is succeeded by Sister Lucia Bortolomasi of Susa, for 14 years a missionary in Mongolia with the current vicar apostolic and Cardinal Marengo.
On Oct. 9, 2023, Brambilla became secretary of Consecrated Life, the second nun from a congregation founded in Turin to become secretary of a Vatican dicastery, after Sister Alessandra Smerilli, a Salesian, secretary of the Service of Integral Human Development.
Francis, Dec. 13, 2024, appointed Cardinal Archbishop of Turin Roberto Repole and Sister Simona Brambilla as members of the XVI Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
The number of women in senior positions in the Vatican increases. On July 8, 2019, the pope first appointed seven women members of Consecrated Life; he then chose Sister Brambilla as secretary and now prefect. Since the beginning of the papacy, the presence of women has significantly increased: the percentage of women has risen from 19.2 percent to 23.4 percent.
A path traced by the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which makes possible the appointment of lay people and women religious to head a dicastery, a position previously reserved for cardinals and archbishops.
Among the appointees are Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, secretary general of the Governorate.
Ángel Fernández Artime
Cardinal for two years, Francis was rumored to have appointed him to a very delicate post: indeed, being pro-prefect in a dicastery of which a nun is prefect is very delicate business and the two must operate with a perfect understanding. “He is an authoritative and driving person,” say those who know him, capable of working in different political regimes and religious contexts.
A Spaniard from Asturias, Ángel Fernández Artime was born Aug. 21, 1960, in Gozón-Luanco, a fishing village.
He made his first religious profession on Sept. 3, 1978, perpetual vows on June 17, 1984 in Santiago de Compostela, and was a priest on July 4, 1987 in León.
With a degree in Pastoral Theology and a licentiate in Philosophy and Pedagogy, he is delegate of youth ministry, director of the school in Ourense, inspector of Spain-León (2000-06) and South Argentina (2009-14), where he knows and collaborates with Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Rector Major of the Salesians
In the XXVII General Chapter of the Salesians Ángel Fernández Artime on the first ballot on March 25, 2014, feast of the Annunciation, is elected X successor of Don Bosco and is confirmed as Rector Major in 2020.
On July 9, 2023, the surprise: Francis includes his name among the 21 new cardinals in the Consistory of Sept. 30 and gives him the title Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana.
It had never happened that a rector major was appointed cardinal “in munere.” He sends a letter “to all Salesians and the Salesian Family” scattered in 136 nations about “who will lead the Congregation”: “The Pope has shown himself to be attentive, cordial, a profound admirer of Don Bosco’s charism and particularly affectionate, and has determined that we will be able to anticipate the XXIX General Chapter by one year” because the deadline was scheduled for 2026: “The Pope has considered that, for the good of the Congregation, I can continue my service until July 31, 2024, and I will assume the service he will entrust to me.” On April 20, 2024, he is consecrated archbishop of Ursona.
XXVIII Chapter of the Salesians
As of July 31, 2024, it is Vicar General Fr. Stefano Martoglio, a native of Cumiana, who will assume the government of the Congregation “ad interim” until the new chapter (Feb. 16-April 12, 2025) that will elect the XI successor to lead the Congregation. The chapter will gather nearly 200 inspectors and delegates at Valdocco: after a pilgrimage to Don Bosco’s Becchi, they will elect the new Rector Major at the Generalate in Rome. Needless to hide that among the candidates is the Cumianese Fr. Martoglio, a good middle school director and a good inspector of the Subalpina. The last Piedmontese rector major was Don Pietro Ricaldone (1932-1951). Some point out that a candidacy might emerge among the Indians, the largest group of Salesians in the world.
Spiritual children
A detail: sister Simona Brambilla and Card. Ángel Fernández Artime are spiritual children of two great priests and saints who worked in Turin: St. Joseph Allamano founder of the Missionaries and Missionaries of the Consolata and St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians and Salesian Sisters.
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