By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) – Pope Francis introduced a historic change that allows any baptized lay Catholic to lead most of the Vatican’s departments. This was part of a new constitution, which is being used by the Vatican’s central administrative.

Since centuries the heads of these departments have been male clerics. Usually cardinals or bishops.

Praedicate Evangelium, a 54-page constitution that took over nine years, was completed. The new constitution, which was published on the 9th anniversary of Francis’ appointment as pope in 2013, will replace one that Pope John Paul II issued in 1988. It will be effective on June 5th.

It’s preamble says: “The Pope, Bishops and Other Ordined Ministers Are Not the Only Evangelizers In The Church.” Furthermore, it states that both men and women of faith “should play a role in the Curia as well as having government and accountability.

In the Constitution’s principles section it states that “any member or faithful can head any dicastery (Curia division) or organization” provided the Pope appoints them.

The 1988 Constitution stated that all departments except a handful were to be led by a cardinal/bishop and supported by experts, administrators, and secretary.

While the constitution does not make any distinction between lay men or lay women, the new constitution allows lay people to be appointed, provided that they have the right “particular competency, power of government and function.”

Each department can have its own constitution within the overall constitution.

Experts said that at least two of these, the ministry for bishops or the ministry for clergy will remain under the leadership of men, as only priests can be held in the Catholic Church by men.

Experts suggested that the department for consecrated living, responsible for religious order and spirituality, might be led by a nun. It currently has a cardinal as its head.

In 2018, in an interview with Reuters, the Pope revealed that he had selected a woman for his economic department at the Vatican but that she was unable to accept it because of personal reasons.

According to the new constitution, the Curia’s role in governance was made “essential” by lay Catholics because they are familiar with family life as well as “social reality”.

Francis named Sister Raffaella PETRINI, the top-ranking women in the world’s smallest nation, for the number 2 position in Vatican City’s Governorship.

He also appointed Sister Alessandra, an Italian nun, to his interim post as secretary at the Vatican’s Development Office, which deals in justice and peace.

Francis also appointed Nathalie Bécquart, a French member of Xaviere Missionary Sisters as the co-undersecretary of Synod of Bishops. This department prepares the major gatherings of world bishops every few years.