Pope Appoints Sister Raffaella Petrini to Run Vatican as Its First Woman Governor

Another woman is taking over a top management job in the Vatican: Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian nun, was named Saturday as president of the Vatican City State, making her essentially the governor of the 108-acre territory in Rome that is home to the Catholic Church.

- AP

Petrini, 56, had previously been the secretary general of the Vatican administration, which, among other things, is responsible for the city-state's infrastructure and the Vatican Museums, a major source of revenue for the Holy See. She moves into the top job on March 1 following the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, who turns 80 that day. Pope Francis had previously announced Petrini's promotion, part of his effo