Women and Money in the Vatican: Excluded from Power, Impacted by Scandal

Despite their vital roles in Church life, women remain excluded from Vatican financial power structures, yet they feel the consequences of corruption most directly.

Women’s Presence in the Vatican

Women make up a significant part of the Vatican workforce. They serve as archivists, administrators, museum staff, journalists, and even as members of commissions advising the Pope. Yet when it comes to positions of real financial authority, running departments, overseeing budgets, or directing investments, women remain largely absent.

This exclusion has fueled criticism that Vatican financial scandals are the result of insular, male-dominated networks resistant to outside accountability.

Excluded From Power

Key financial offices such as the Secretariat for the Economy and the Institute for the Works of Religion (the Vatican Bank) have historically been controlled by men, often clergy. Women rarely sit in decision-making positions, despite calls for more diverse leadership.

This lack of representation has consequences. Studies across sectors show that more inclusive leadership often results in stronger accountability and ethical standards. The Vatican’s exclusion of women has allowed old patterns of secrecy and scandal to persist.

Impact of Financial Scandals

While women are excluded from decision-making, they are not shielded from the effects of mismanagement. Lay female employees often face budget cuts and limited career advancement when Vatican finances falter. Beyond Rome, nuns and women leading Catholic charities around the world struggle with reduced funding when donations are lost to corruption or speculative investments.

Thus, women bear the weight of scandals they had no power to prevent.

Calls for Change

Catholic reform groups and even some Vatican insiders have argued for greater inclusion of women in financial governance. Pope Francis has appointed more women to advisory roles, but critics argue these positions often lack real authority.

The challenge remains: until women are allowed meaningful participation in decision-making, the Vatican’s promises of reform will ring hollow.

Vatican’s Defense

Officials respond that reform is gradual and that cultural traditions take time to change. They point to recent progress, such as women serving as undersecretaries and members of key commissions. Yet these examples highlight token representation rather than structural equality.

For many, the issue is not symbolic appointments but systemic reform: granting women the authority to oversee budgets, manage assets, and enforce accountability.

Conclusion: Accountability Through Inclusion

The Vatican’s financial scandals are not only about secrecy and mismanagement, they are also about exclusion. By keeping women out of financial power structures, the Vatican has limited both oversight and credibility.

True reform will require more than transparency reports or new oversight offices. It will require opening the doors of financial decision-making to the women who already sustain much of the Church’s mission.