In re Anglican orders, one must, I think, also consider two other factors:
(a) At one time, the Old Catholics had Apostolic Succession, but now with their bishopesses, the Apostolic Succession is broken. Yeah, sure, there may be some bishops who still have it, but any bishop “consecrated” by a bishopess is out of luck.
(b) Even when the Old Catholics had clear Apostolic Succession, if they were involved with an Anglican ordination it would have been in the role of co-consecrator. Since a co-consecrator is not required, the succession cannot really be passed along that way. IOW, it is the principal consecrator who actually accomplished the ordination.
a few things:
- any anglican bishop who was ordained deacon, or priest by a female bishop or other invalid bishop is invalidly ordained; they are thus invalid matter for ordination to bishop.
- The whole point of coconsecrators is to back up the succession in case the primary turns out to be invalid. Only if all the coconsecrators, including the primary, are invalid is the would-be bishop axiomatically invalid.
- Anglican orders were deemed lost based upon a multi-issue flaw - part of which is a possibly invalid ordination formula; Part of which was the temporary abolishment of the episcopacy in the Anglican church; part of it was the borderline heresies of the Anglican church (notably the low-church side).
The 39 articles show that they defected from the Apostolic Faith. Sufficiently so as to prevent their “ordination” from being valid - most notably XXV. If Ordination is not a sacrament in the same sense as baptism and the Eucharist, then their ordination is axiomatically invalid because it’s not the same as the Catholic and Orthodox Apostolic Faiths’ Ordinations.
XXV. Of the Sacraments.
Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God’s good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.
There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.
Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.
The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul saith.
And XXXII contradicts St. Paul…
XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priests.
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, are not commanded by God’s Law, either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage: therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve better to godliness. This violates the long standing faith of the church, and to a degree, St. Paul, and the councils.
