VATICAN CITY – Six women, including the former treasurer for Britain’s Prince Charles, have been appointed by Pope Francis to the council overseeing the Vatican’s finances.
The appointments to one of the most important offices of the Vatican are the latest attempt by the pope to honour his pledge to improve gender balance, which women’s rights groups have said was slow in being implemented.
He has already appointed women as deputy foreign minister, director of the Vatican Museums, and deputy head of the Vatican Press Office. There are also four women councillors to the Synod of Bishops.
Earlier, the all-male council consisted of 15 posts. One cardinal is the coordinator and the 14 other posts are divided evenly among members of the clergy and lay people.
The laymen comprise six women and one man. Of the six women, two each are from Britain, Spain and Germany. The sole male lay member is Italian.
Leslie Jane Ferrar, a Briton, was treasurer to Prince Charles from 2015 to 2017 and now holds a number of non-executive and trustee roles.
Another Brit Ruth May Kelly served as secretary of state for education and for transport, and as minister for women and equality, in Britain’s former Labour government from 2004-2008.
The other four women have business, banking and academia backgrounds.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field