Pope Francis has appointed Franciscan Sister of Eucharist, Sr. Raffaella Petrini as Secretary-General of Vatican Governorate. She is the first woman to become Secretary-General of the Vatican Governorate. Now she holds the second-highest rank in the Vatican.
The Governorate is the office of the executive authority of the Vatican state. It is headed by a President, Secretary-General, and Vice Secretary-General. The 52- year old Sr. Petrini is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Eucharist. She has been an official at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples. since 2005. She holds a Doctorate in Social Science and is also a Professor of Economics at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.