Pope Benedict's Explanation of Valid Apostolic Priestly Ministry...

This page is offered as a courtesy for those who may be interested.

This explanation by Pope Benedict, of apostolic validity is from his letter to the Catholic Church in China.  We offer these excerpts for clarification regarding bishops and priests who are not in union with the Roman See.  To read the entire letter you can access Catholic.org

Finally, there are certain Bishops – a very small number of them – who
have been ordained without the Pontifical mandate and who have not
asked for or have not yet obtained, the necessary legitimation.
According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, they are to be
considered illegitimate, but validly ordained, as long as it is certain
that they have received ordination from validly ordained Bishops and
that the Catholic rite of episcopal ordination has been respected.
Therefore, although not in communion with the Pope, they exercise their
ministry validly in the administration of the sacraments, even if they
do so illegitimately. What great spiritual enrichment would ensue for
the Church in China if, the necessary conditions having been
established, these Pastors too were to enter into communion with the
Successor of Peter and with the entire Catholic episcopate! Not only
would their episcopal ministry be legitimized, there would also be an
enrichment of their communion with the priests and the faithful who
consider the Church in China part of the Catholic Church, united with
the Bishop of Rome and with all the other particular Churches spread
throughout the world...


...Concerning Bishops whose consecrations took place without the
pontifical mandate yet respecting the Catholic rite of episcopal
ordination, the resulting problems must always be resolved in the light
of the principles of Catholic doctrine. Their ordination – as I have
already said (cf. section 8 above, paragraph 12) – is illegitimate but
valid, just as priestly ordinations conferred by them are valid, and
sacraments administered by such Bishops and priests are likewise valid.
Therefore the faithful, taking this into account, where the eucharistic
celebration and the other sacraments are concerned, must, within the
limits of the possible, seek Bishops and priests who are in communion
with the Pope: nevertheless, where this cannot be achieved without
grave inconvenience, they may, for the sake of their spiritual good,
turn also to those who are not in communion with the Pope.

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