Baptised lay Catholics including women fit lead Vatican departments - Pope Francis

Pope Francis don introduce chnages wey go allow any baptised lay Catholic, including women, to head most Vatican departments.

Di pontiff okay dis landmark reform on Saturday under a new constitution for di Holy See central administration.

For centuries, na male dey be cardinals or bishops, but dis fit change from June 5 wen di new charter go dey effective afta more dan nine years of work.

Dem release di 54-page constitution wey dem call Praedicate Evangelium (Preach di Gospel) on di ninth anniversary of Francis' installation as pope in 2013.

Di constitution dey replace di one wey Pope John Paul II bin release in 1988.

Its preamble tok say di "pope, bishops and oda ordained ministers no be di only pipo wey dey evangelise in di Church".

Di preamble add say lay men and women "gass get roles of goment and responsibility" in di central administration, known as di Curia.

Di principles section of di constitution tok say "any member of di faithful fit head a dicastery (Curia department) or organism" if di pope decide say dem dey qualified and im appoint dem.

Under di 1988, na cardinal or bishop dey head di departments - wit a few exceptions. Na secretary, experts and administrators dey assist dem.

Di new constitution no make any distinction between lay men and lay women.

Though experts tok say at least two departments - di department for bishops and di department for clergy - go remain headed by men.

Dis na sake of say only men fit be priests for Catholic Church.

Di department for consecrated life, wey dey responsible for religious orders, fit dey headed by a nun in di future, the experts tok. Na cardinal dey lead am.

For one interview wit Reuters for 2018, di pope tok say im don shortlist a woman to head di Vatican economic department, but she no fit take di job for personal reasons.

Role of laity dey "essential"

Di new constitution tok say di role of lay Catholics in governing roles in di Curia dey "essential" sake of dia familiarity wit family life and "social reality".

Francis also merge some offices and also create a new one wey go oversee charity efforts, and set up a new order of importance.

Di Pontifical Commission for di Protection of Minors, wey include lay pipo and abuse victims, don receive more institutional influence as dem incorporate am into di doctrinal department, wey dey decide on sanctions for priests wey dem convict of sexual abuse.

But one of di commission's original members, Marie Collins of Ireland, tok on Twitter say dis development fit affect di commission independence.

While di Secretariat of State keep dia premier position as administrative, coordinating and diplomatic department, dem bin place di high status of di doctrinal office below di status of di department of evangelisation.

Di pope go head di evangelisation office himself. And dis go highlight di importance im give to spreading and reviving di faith.

Francis don already name some lay pipo including women to Vatican departments.

Last year, im bin name a woman to di number two position in di governorship of Vatican City.

And dis make Sister Raffaella Petrini di highest-ranking woman in di world's smallest state.

Also last year, im bin name Italian nun Sister Alessandra Smerilli to di interim position of secretary of di Vatican's development office, wey dey deal wit justice and peace issues.

In addition, Francis don name Nathalie Becquart, a French member of di Xaviere Missionary Sisters, as co-undersecretary of di Synod of Bishops, wey dey prepare major meetings of world bishops wey dem dey hold every few years.