For The First Time, The Pope Appointed Women To Join The Bishops' Advisory Committee

Pope Francis. (Wikimedia Commons/Xonn)

JAKARTA - Pope Francis has made another historic move, appointing a woman for the first time to join a committee previously filled only by men as advisers in choosing the world's bishops.

The decision to include two nuns and a lay woman on the committee, she made in an exclusive interview with Reuters earlier this month, outlined a desire to give women more senior and influential positions on the Vatican's Holy See.

The three women are Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian who is currently deputy governor of Vatican City, French nun Yvonne Reungoat, a former community leader of a religious order, and Italian laywoman Maria Lia Zervino, president of the Union of World Catholic Women's Organizations (UMOFC).

The three women are among 14 people appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops, which examines candidates and advises the Pope on which priest should become bishop.

In addition to the three women, the other eleven appointed on Wednesday are cardinals, bishops and priests.

Their term of service is five years. Before the announcement of the 14 names on Wednesday, there were more than 20 members. The number fluctuates as the validity period expires but usually the number of committee members is between around 25-30.

The process begins locally, with bishops suggesting to the archbishop the names of priests they think would make good bishops.

The list is then given to the Vatican nuncio, or ambassador, in a country, who further investigates the person and sends his recommendation to the Vatican.

Committee members, who come from all over the world, meet in Rome about twice a month and send their recommendations to the Pope, who makes the final decision.

"In this way, things open up a little bit," Pope Francis said in a July 2 interview with Reuters at his residence, as he revealed his decision to appoint women to the decision-making section of the bishops' department, as quoted July 13.

In addition to Petrini, who as deputy governor is the most powerful woman in the world's smallest state, Pope Francis has appointed a number of women, both nuns and lay women, to Vatican departments.

Last year, she appointed Italian Sister Alessandra Smerilli to the number two position in the Vatican's development office, which deals with issues of justice and peace.

In addition, Pope Francis appointed Nathalie Becquart, a French member of the Xaviere Missionary Sisters, as deputy secretary of the Synod of Bishops, which prepares for the major worldwide assemblies of bishops held every few years.

Lay women who have held top jobs at the Vatican include Barbara Jatta, the first woman director of the Vatican Museums, and Cristiane Murray, deputy director of the Vatican Press Office. Both were appointed by Pope Francis.