Friday, April 19, 2019

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli Appointed to Vatican Council of State

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, Appointed to Vatican City’s Council of State

(ANS – Vatican City – April 18) – The Holy Father has appointed Sr. Alessandra Smerilli of the Daughter of Mary Help of Christians as a member of the Vatican City State’s governing council. Sr. Smerilli is professor of Political Economy at the Pontifical School of Educational Sciences Auxilium, the Salesian Sisters’ university in Rome. The appointment was announced through a press release of the Holy See on Wednesday, April 17. Pope Francis’s decision was dated March 5.

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli with Pope Francis at the 2018 Synod of Bishops
A note from the Auxilium explains: “Her mandate is five years and is carried out collegially together with other councilors who form the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State. The council of state provides assistance in the elaboration of the Vatican laws and in other matters of particular importance.”

The Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State, composed of a general councilor and five state councilors, is the body that exercises legislative power in the Vatican City State. It is the dicastery that de facto administers the Vatican City State, overseeing most public functions and representing the state on behalf of the Pope.

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli was born in Vasto in 1974 and graduated in economics from the University of Roma Tre. She then specialized in political economics at the Sapienza University of Rome and at the School of Economics of the East Anglia University in Norwich, England.

In addition to teaching on the Auxilium faculty, she holds teaching positions in other university institutions, is a member of the scientific and organizing committee of the Catholic Social Weeks, promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference, and is one of the experts of the National Council of the Third Sector, a body established at the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Policies.

Last October Sr. Smerilli participated as an auditor in the Synod of Bishops on “Young people, faith, and vocational discernment.” In that synod the voice of the young called for, among other things, greater consideration of women in positions of responsibility within the Church.

Now the Pope has called for Sr. Smerilli to take on a responsibility in which she will bring her experience on the subject of economics.

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