Heretics and/or Schismatics

[aball1035]

Can heretics and/or schismatics be consecrated priests? Like if they had the proper words etc said, would they still be valid (if not lawful) priests? Without making this a sedevacantist post, can heretical priests be made bishops or popes?

My question isn’t really can it be done, but would their souls be given the eternal mark of being able to give the sacraments?

 

[bmadamsberry]

Not sure. The Orthodox Church is in schism, but they have valid ordinations.

 

[ProVobis]

I could be wrong on this but it depends on the heresy and whether the Church can tolerate it. The heresy can be such that the heretic no longer even wants to be Catholic if they disagree with him. So then it becomes a moot point.

The Orthodox Church as mentioned ordains “schismatic” priests. Valid Apostolic succession seems to trump not-full-communion with the Vatican.

 

[1ke]

Can heretics and/or schismatics be consecrated priests? Like if they had the proper words etc said, would they still be valid (if not lawful) priests? Without making this a sedevacantist post, can heretical priests be made bishops or popes?

My question isn’t really can it be done, but would their souls be given the eternal mark of being able to give the sacraments?

Yes, a heretic or schismatic could receive valid Holy Orders within a schismatic Church. For example, the Orthodox have valid Apostolic Succession, valid bishops and priests. They retain the Sacraments, Holy Orders among them. Those bishops and priests who went into schism with Bishop LeFevre are another example. Arians in the early Church are another example.

Can they be “made bishops or popes”? I assume you mean within the Catholic Church. Not without being received back into full communion with the Catholic Church. But if validly ordained they would not be “re” ordained. It does impart a unique and non repeatable character as do baptism and confirmation.

It is also important to note that there are groups who began with valid Orders and Apostolic Succesion only to lose the validity of those Orders. For example, the Anglican Communion. They originated with validly consecrated Bishops who in turn validly ordained priests and elevated bishops. However, through various changes in theology and the Ordination Rite itself, they ceased to have pass down valid orders.

 

[Loyal_J]

They can be made popes, bishops, or priests if they do not know what the hold is heretical.

Church law number 1364 says that formal heretics are excommunicated.

But the conditions for actually getting automatically excommunicated are high. They’re in canon (church) law numbers 1321-1323. For example they have to know it’s an excommunicable act to get excommunicated and they need proper use of their reason.