TWIN CITIES, Minnesota (LifeSiteNews) – A Eucharistic Procession on Sunday for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis included two Protestant ministers, one of whom is a female “bishop.”
The archdiocese included the Eucharistic Procession as part of its Synod Assembly. The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is the literal Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Ann Svennungsen, a “bishop” of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), can be seen in liturgical vestments processing out of church after male altar servers and several laity, but before Catholic priests. Jerad Morey, a United Methodist Church minister, is seen next to Svennungsen, wearing a white surplice. He is a strategic relationships director with the Minnesota Council of Churches.
“I thought it was significant that we would invite representatives from our separated brothers and sisters from our other Christian communities here in the Twin Cities,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said, according to the archdiocesan newspaper The Catholic Spirit. He invited them “to ask for their prayers for this effort and also to keep them abreast of what’s going on in our archdiocese, but also to be able to hear their perspective on the questions that they’re facing in their polities, too.”
“There’s always that desire that Jesus has, that all of his followers would be united,” Abp. Hebda said. “And so even though that’s an imperfect unity at this moment, to be able to engage our brothers and sisters who are Christian in this effort — and really, Bishop Svennungsen and Reverend Morey are representatives of those communities much more broadly — is a way for us to really be mindful of the gifts that they bring to the broader Church of those who follow Christ in our archdiocese as well.”
“Except for voting, the Protestant observers will participate in every way as the other 500 delegates to the Synod, said Father Joseph Bambenek, the Synod’s assistant director,” Catholic Spirit reported. “They are contributing with other Synod members in discussions throughout the assembly, Father Bambeneck said.”
LifeSiteNews emailed the archbishop’s listed email, his executive assistant Patrice Zangs, and the communications office for the archdiocese on Thursday morning but did not receive a response.
LifeSiteNews asked if either Morey or Svennungsen had expressed any interest in becoming Catholic, what expertise they bring to the table, and if the archdiocese asked the two to wear vestments or if it knew ahead of time they would. LifeSiteNews also asked, to no avail, if the archdiocese believed Svennungsen dressing like a priest could cause confusion because only men can be priests.
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LifeSiteNews contacted Bob Hulteen, the communications director for the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA on Thursday morning to ask questions of Svennungsen. LifeSiteNews asked if she had any interest in becoming Catholic, what she hoped to see changed in the Catholic Church, and what she believes the Eucharist represents.
He said Svennungsen was not available because she was traveling but he would try to get answers from her by phone. No further response was received by publication time.
Morey did not respond to an email asking the same questions Thursday morning.