The visit of Antje Jackelén, the Archbishop of the Lutheran Church in Sweden came as a shocking surprise to many observers.
You will recall that sometime in 2013, in a press conference, the pope said the door is closed to ordination of women. In his own words, “…The Church has spoken and says no.”
Jackelén, has made history as the first woman archbishop to be welcomed at the Vatican. The Vatican also recorded a first.
The Archbishop said the purpose for her visit was to ask the pope to lend a voice to unity in Christendom. She also talked about the persecution of Christians going on in the Middle East.
Responding to her, the pope thanked the Lutheran Church in Sweden for taking in South American migrants who fled from dictatorship.
He also said: “The call to unity as followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ includes an urgent call for a common effort on the charity front."
After the meeting, Jackelén, tweeted, thanking the Pope for meeting her. See her tweet.