Italian nun becomes highest ranking woman in Vatican

FILE PHOTO: A general view of St. Peter's Square as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, at the Vatican, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has for the first time named a woman to the number two position in the governorship of Vatican City, making her the highest-ranking woman in the world's smallest state.

The appointment on Thursday of Sister Raffaella Petrini, a 52-year-old Italian nun, is the latest in which the 84-year-old pope has placed a woman in a leadership role.