The Catholic Diocese of Richmond's Church of the Holy Apostles hosted the February 'ordination' of Marie Kirk-Clunan.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic parish that serves as an ecumenical parish with the Episcopal (Anglican) community allowed the 'ordination' of a female Episcopal "priest" inside the shared worship space and then accepted her as co-pastor.
Church of the Holy Apostles, a Roman Catholic parish that also serves an Episcopal worship community, allowed the February "ordination" of the Episcopalian Marie Kirk-Clunan to take place in the sanctuary and has permitted her to serve as the co-pastor of the parish since her "ordination." The Diocese of Richmond's Bishop Barry Knestout previously granted permission for Episcopalians to "consecrate" a female "bishop" in another Catholic parish.
Images from a parish Facebook post commemorating Kirk-Clunan's "ordination" show that she was "ordained" by a female Episcopal "bishop." One of the pictures shows the Catholic chaplain of the chapel, Monsignor Raphael Peprah, attending the ceremony.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is impossible for women to receive validly the sacrament of holy orders. The Church also teaches that Episcopalians and other “ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation” do not have valid holy orders at all because of broken apostolic succession. They can neither confect the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist nor give absolution for sins.
In addition to claiming to "ordain" women as "priests," the Episcopal Church recognizes same-sex "marriage" and LGBT gender ideology.
READ: Female Anglican bishop 'concelebrates' Mass with Catholic priests
LifeSiteNews reached out to both Msgr. Peprah's and Bishop Knestout's offices for comment but did not receive a response from either as of publication time.
Just before the start of a February 16 Sunday worship service (viewable below) that featured a Catholic Mass immediately followed by Kirk-Clunan's first Episcopal "Eucharist" as a "priest," a laywoman reading parish announcements congratulated the Episcopalian on her "ordination." There followed immediate applause from the ecumenical congregation. The announcer also encouraged the congregants to stay for both liturgies to promote "Christian unity."
Holy Apostles Church was founded as an ecumenical parish in 1977 to serve as a "visible sign of Christian unity." The parish has a Catholic priest serving as a chaplain and a Episcopalian who serves as co-pastor; it is officially part of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.
READ: Catholic college allows female Anglican 'priests' to celebrate 'Eucharist' inside basilica
The church regularly has one worship service that includes a Catholic Mass and an Episcopal "Eucharist," and parishioners are always encouraged to remain for both liturgies.
In 2020, Bishop Knestout granted permission for the Episcopal Church to "ordain" a female "bishop" in one of the diocese's churches, St. Bede Church in Williamsburg. Following backlash from the Catholic faithful, the bishop and the then-pastor of St. Bede, Monsignor Joseph P. Lehman, released letters defending the decision, citing ecumenism. Lehman notably also called the event a "consecration" despite the Church's stance on the invalidity of women's and Protestants' "Holy Orders."
READ: Catholic bishop defends allowing 'ordination' of Episcopalian female 'bishop' inside Catholic church
The Episcopal Church responded to the backlash by relocating the "consecration" due to the "dismay and distress" their plans caused the Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Richmond.
