SALTILLO, Mexico (LifeSiteNews) — A lesbian Anglican “priest” who “married” a woman received the Holy Eucharist after dipping the Host in the Blood of Christ during a recent Mass in Mexico. Throughout the liturgy, she also stood alongside a Catholic prelate and appeared to “concelebrate” the liturgy.

Canadian “pastor” Emilie Teresa Smith came down to Mexico for a Mass on August 26 with Bishop Emeritus Raúl Vera López, OP, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Saltillo.

Smith is involved in Latin American “ecumenical” activities and previously appeared vested in liturgical vestments in March, causing controversy.

She “married” another woman, Patti Powell, in 2018 and regularly posts pro-LGBT content on social media.

The Mass, which can still be seen on Facebook, shows Smith standing next to the prelate throughout and sitting next to his presider’s chair. “During the liturgy, Ms Smith, wearing a stole (a liturgical vestment), joined in parts of the Eucharistic Prayer, whispered words of consecration, raised her hand in blessing and elevated the chalice containing the Precious Blood of Christ,” the Catholic Herald reported. LifeSiteNews also observed that Smith appeared to be wearing a white clerical collar.

Smith also appeared to read the Gospel, which is reserved for deacons and priests, and give a homily. She also kissed the altar at the end of Mass.

López defended his inclusion of a female “pastor” during Mass and attacked those who criticized his actions.

“They talk about sacrilege, heresy, indecency, indiscipline, laziness. Please, it’s common sense!! She carries her stole everywhere she travels around the world,” the bishop wrote.

The bishop also criticized “people who pretend to be Christians, [who] wrote insulting things to us on different social networks,” and cited Pope Francis’ “climate change” encyclical Laudato si’ to justify his decision.

Here’s a female Anglican ‘priest’ consuming the Holy Eucharist a recent Mass in Mexico. pic.twitter.com/G7CRrGPqw4

— Matt Lamb (@MattLamb22) August 29, 2025

He wrote further:

All this prompted the titular bishop of the Diocese of Saltillo to call me. He knows that the Mass is recorded and I repeated the context in which the Emilie Teresa Smith visit is given. But by the way, not only does she work with the poor, she has a parish, has a theological background, she is a writer, she is qualified to participate in a meeting of the United Nations and with God’s people, around the defense of our Mother Earth, but besides all that her homily yesterday was excellent.

I hope that the community through my homily and through my word to the press, can understand what this is about. It’s not just about ecumenism, but about being true sisters and brothers, not just with a narrative, but with actions of love and inclusion. We are no longer in witch hunts and bonfire times. The word of our sister Emilie, gives us light, life and guidance as Laudato [si’] asks all the people of this planet.

In a follow-up post, he wrote: “I admire and respect you Emilie Teresa Smith I wish you no more bad -tastes in your mouth- on your way. We will be always at your service when you return to the Mexican northeast.”

The “concelebration” of Mass by a female Anglican “priest” raises several canonical issues.

Canon law forbids the reception of the Holy Eucharist, which Catholics know is the true Body and Blood of Christ, by non-Catholics.

Canon 702 states: “Catholic priests are forbidden to concelebrate the Divine Liturgy with non-Catholic priests or ministers.”

Canon 907 states: “In the eucharistic celebration deacons and lay persons are not permitted to offer prayers, especially the eucharistic prayer, or to perform actions which are proper to the celebrating priest” and Canon 908 makes clear: “Catholic priests are forbidden to concelebrate the Eucharist with priests or ministers of Churches or ecclesial communities which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church.”

Sadly, heretical ministers have often joined in appearing to concelebrate Catholic Masses, as documented by LifeSiteNews.

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual behavior is mortally sinful and intrinsically evil and that homosexual inclinations are “objectively disordered,” in accordance with Sacred Scripture and the constant Tradition of the Church.

The Church also definitively teaches that women cannot be validly ordained as priests.