"Holy Mass and Protestant Supper Are For Francis 'Very Close' Together"

“Francis received on Friday the Lutheran pastor Michael Jonas, who is working in Rome. The meeting was relaxed and cordial, Jonas told the Protestant Press Service (epd).

Francis was well informed about the German churches. He [again] recounted that as a young Jesuit he once replaced a Lutheran pastor in a Protestant service during a stay in Scandinavia.

According to Jonas, Francis said that Catholics and Lutherans were ‘very close’ in what they do in their respective liturgies.”