Pope names 6 women to monitor Vatican finances

ROME: Pope Francis has appointed six women, including the former treasurer for Britain’s Prince Charles, to the council that oversees Vatican finances, naming them in one fell swoop to some of the most senior roles.

The appointments to one of the Holy See’s most important offices marked the latest attempt by the pope to keep promises to improve gender balance made years ago but which women’s groups have said were too slow in being realised.

Francis has already appointed women as deputy foreign minister, director of the Vatican Museums, and deputy head of the Vatican Press Office, as well as four women as councillors to the Synod of Bishops, which prepares major meetings.

Still, Thursday’s new appointments marked the largest number of women named at one time to Vatican posts.

The previously all-male Council for the Economy consists 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 seven-member lay portion now consists of six women and one man. Of the six women, two each are from Britain, Spain and Germany. The sole male lay member is

Italian.

One of the Britons, Leslie Jane Ferrar, was treasurer to Prince Charles from 2015 to 2017 and now holds a number of nonexecutive and trustee roles, the Vatican said.

The other, 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.

— Reuters