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Sister Raffaella Petrini Appointed President of Vatican Governorate

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VATICAN— Pope Francis has appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., as President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, the Vatican announced Saturday.

According to the Feb. 15 bulletin from the Holy See Press Office, Sister Petrini will assume her new roles on Mar. 1, 2025. She succeeds Cardinal Fernando Vérgez in both positions (Holy See Press Office, 2025).

Sister Petrini, who has served as Secretary General of the same governorate since November 2021, brings significant academic and administrative experience to her new role. Born in Rome on Jan. 15, 1969, she holds a degree in political science from the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Guido Carli and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, where she currently serves as a professor (Catholic News Agency, 2025).

Before her appointment to the governorate, Sister Petrini worked at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2005 to 2021.

This appointment follows Pope Francis‘ recent selection of Sister Simona Brambilla as prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, marking a continuing trend of women being appointed to senior Vatican leadership positions (Vatican News, 2025).

During a recent television interview, the Pope had previously indicated his intention to promote Sister Petrini (Vatican News, 2025).

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