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Alessandra Smerilli

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Sister Alessandra Smerilli
Sister
Alessandra Smerilli
FMA
Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 August 2021 (interim)
23 April 2022 (permanent)
Preceded by Bruno Marie Duffé
Undersecretary of Faith and Development Sector of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
In office
24 March 2021 – 26 August 2021
Personal life
Born 14 November 1974
Vasto, Italy
Education Roma Tre University, University of East Anglia, Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium
Religious life
Religion Catholic
Order Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco
Profession Economist, professor, Curia official
Senior posting
Awards Order of the Star of Italy

Alessandra Smerilli, FMA (born 14 November 1974) is an Italian Catholic economist, academic, and religious sister who has served as the Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the Roman Curia since August 2021. She was the first woman to be appointed secretary of a dicastery, the second most senior official of a Curia department after the prefect, which made her the highest-ranking woman in the Roman Curia at the time. She was appointed prefect in June 2026, effective in September.

Smerilli holds a post-PhD (it. docente) degree in political economy and statistics from the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium.[1] She is a member of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco.

Biography

Alessandra Smerilli was born on 14 November 1974 in Vasto, Italy.[2] In July 1993, she graduated from the Raffaele Mattioli Scientific High School there[2] and later began her studies in economics.

Four years later, in 1997, she has entered the congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and at the request of her superior continued her studies in economics.[3]

Allesandra studied at the Faculty of Economics of the Roma Tre University and in July 2001, graduated with a degree in economics and commerce with specialization in political economy with full marks, honours and the right to publish the thesis.[2]

In June 2006, she obtained a doctorate in political economy at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", and on 21 June 2014 received a PhD degree in economics from the School of Economics of the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK.[2]

Smerilli works at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium as an extraordinary professor of political economy and statistics, and also as a member of the University's board of directors. She also teaches economics, ethics and finance at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Salesian Pontifical University and in the master's program in civil and non-profit economics at the University of Milan-Bicocca.[2]

Since 2008, she has been a member of the Scientific and Organizational committees of the Social Weeks of Italian Catholics, and since 2013 the Secretary of this initiative. Additionally, she is a member of the Ethics Committees of the CHARIS consortium and also of the Banca Popolare Etica, and a founding member of the School of Civil Economics.[2]

In early 2021 she was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy for her "academic achievements and commitment to the ethical principles in business and finance".[4][5]

Roman Curia

Smerilli was among the first group of women Pope Francis placed in senior leadership roles in the Roman Curia.

In 2018, she was an auditor at the 15th ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops which took place in Vatican City from 3 to 28 October 2018 on the theme "Young people, faith and vocational discernment".[6]

On 17 April 2019, Pope Francis appointed her a councilor of the Vatican City State.[7] On 24 May 2019, he named her a consultant to the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.[8][9]

Beginning in the spring of 2020, she coordinated the Economic Task Force of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission, an institution created by Pope Francis to express the Church's concern in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and to propose answers to the socio-economic challenges of the future.[10]

Smerilli is also a member of the Women for a New Renaissance[11] a task force set up by the Minister for Equal Opportunities and the family of the Italian politician Elena Bonetti.[12][13]

On 24 March 2021, Pope Francis appointed her the undersecretary for the Faith and Development Sector of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.[14][15] She was named the interim secretary on 26 August 2021, making her the first woman to hold the second-ranking position in a dicastery in the Roman Curia, and the highest ranking woman in the curia at the time.[16] Her appointment as the Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was made permanent on 23 April 2022.[17] She was joined at comparable ranks by Raffaella Petrini who was appointed secretary general of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State in November 2021, and Simona Brambilla who was appointed Secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in October 2023.

In September 2023 she was named a member of the Board of Directors of the Laudato Si' Center for Higher Education.[18]

In 2024, she contributed the foreword to a publication of Caritas Internationalis entitled Equality, Encounter, Renewal: A Caritas commitment to the promotion of women's leadership and participation, based on the Holy Scriptures and Catholic Social Teaching values and principles.[19][20]

On 11 February 2025, Pope Francis established the Commission for Donations to the Holy See (Commissio de Donationibus pro Sancta Sede) and appointed Smerilli one of its members.[21] She was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development by Pope Leo XIV in June 2026, effective in September.[22]

Publications

  • Alessandra Smerilli (2003). Teoria economica e relazioni interpersonali. Roma: Università La Sapienza.
  • Luigino Bruni; Alessandra Smerilli (2006). Le dinamiche della cooperazione: un modello evolutivo. Forlì: AICCON Working Paper.
  • Alessandra Smerilli (2006). Comportamenti cooperativi e we-rationality. Roma: Università La Sapienza.
  • Luca Correani; Giuseppe Garofalo; Fabio Sabatini (2007). Homo oeconomicus? Dinamiche imprenditoriali in laboratorio. Bologna: il Mulino.
  • Luigino Bruni; Alessandra Smerilli (2008). Benedetta economia. Benedetto da Norcia e Francesco d'Assisi nella storia economica europea. Roma: Città Nuova Editrice. p. 120. ISBN 9788831101615.
  • Luigino Bruni; Alessandra Smerilli (2010). La leggerezza del ferro. Un'introduzione alla teoria economica delle "organizzazioni a movente ideale". Milano: Vita e Pensiero. p. 144. ISBN 9788834318720.
  • Alessandra Smerilli (2013). Suore. Roma: Città Nuova Editrice. p. 64.
  • Luigino Bruni; Alessandra Smerilli (2014). The Economics of Values-Based Organizations: an Introduction. Oxford: Routledge. p. 150. ISBN 9781317703594.
  • Luigino Bruni; Alessandra Smerilli (2014). L'altra metà dell'economia. Roma: Città Nuova Editrice. p. 160. ISBN 9788831101820.
  • Alessandra Smerilli (2017). Carismi, economia, profezia. La gestione delle opere e delle risorse. Roma: Editrice Rogate. ISBN 9788880754589.
  • Alessandra Smerilli (2018). Laura Badaracchi (ed.). Pillole di economia civile e del ben-vivere. Roma: Ecra - Edizioni del Credito Cooperativo. p. 160. ISBN 9788865582657.
  • Sergio Massironi; Alessandra Smerilli (2019). L'adesso di Dio: i giovani e il cambiamento della Chiesa. Milano: Vita e Pensiero. p. 125. ISBN 9788834339985.
  • Alessandra Smerilli (2020). Donna Economia. Dalla crisi a una stagione di speranza. Cinisello Balsamo: Edizioni San Paolo. p. 192. ISBN 9788892221451.

Awards

On 28 May 2020, she was awarded (receiving in early 2021) the Order of the Star of Italy.[23]

References

  1. Back to citation "Alessandra Smerilli". Pontificia Facoltà di Scienze dell'Educazione Auxilium.
  2. Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 Back to citation occurrence 2.4 Back to citation occurrence 2.5 "Curriculum vitae e bibliografia completa di suor Alessandra Smerilli" (PDF). pfse-auxilium.org.
  3. Back to citation Ferrucci, Antonella (12 August 2013). "Suore. Tra stereotipi e realtà". edc-online.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  4. Back to citation "Suor Alessandra Smerilli ha ricevuto l'onorificenza di Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia". donboscoitalia.it. 18 January 2021.
  5. Back to citation "Honor bestowed on Sister Alessandra Smerilli". cgfmanet.org. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  6. Back to citation "XV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi (3–28 ottobre 2018) – Elenco dei Partecipanti". 15 September 2018.
  7. Back to citation "Nomina di Consiglieri dello Stato della Città del Vaticano". Vatican News. 17 April 2019; "Suor Alessandra Smerilli nominata dal Papa consigliere di Stato della Città del Vaticano". La Stampa. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2021; Casadio, Giovanna (1 May 2020). "Suor Alessandra Smerilli: "Ripartire dalle donne"". la Repubblica. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  8. Back to citation "Nomina di Consultori della Segreteria Generale del Sinodo dei Vescovi". 24 May 2019.
  9. Back to citation "Sinodo, il Papa nomina per la prima volta 4 donne consultori della Segreteria". La Stampa. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  10. Back to citation Menichetti, Massimiliano (15 April 2020). "Turkson: Pensiamo al dopo COVID-19 per non essere impreparati". Vatican News. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  11. Back to citation "DONNE PER UN NUOVO RINASCIMENTO" (PDF). Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri: Dipartimento per le Pari Opportunità. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  12. Back to citation Casadio, Giovanna (1 May 2020). "Suor Alessandra Smerilli: "Ripartire dalle donne"". la Repubblica. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  13. Back to citation Lomonaco, Amedeo (17 April 2020). ""Donne per un nuovo Rinascimento": genio femminile al servizio del bene comune". Vatican News. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  14. Back to citation "Nomina del Sotto-Segretario per il Settore Fede e Sviluppo del Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale". Vatican Press service. 24 March 2021.
  15. Back to citation "Salesian sister appointed undersecretary of Human Development – Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  16. Back to citation "Pope Francis appoints Italian Sister Alessandra Smerilli as interim secretary to the Vatican dicastery for human development". America Magazine. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  17. Back to citation CNA. "Pope Francis names Cardinal Czerny head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  18. Back to citation "Superiors - Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development". www.humandevelopment.va. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  19. Back to citation "WORKING TOGETHER FOR WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP". Caritas. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  20. Back to citation "Women gather at the Vatican to ask tough questions about leadership in the Catholic Church". America. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  21. Back to citation "Superiors - Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development". www.humandevelopment.va. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  22. Back to citation "Sister Smerilli new Prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 30 June 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  23. Back to citation "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". www.quirinale.it. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
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