Invalid Priest Ordination

[RichardJos]

If the male person to be ordained knowingly enters into the seminary to become a priest only for
example: financial security, continue same sex activity or a member of a subversive group.
Would the priest’s ordination be valid and if so, Is it possible for a declaration of nullity (invalidity) to be issued for priest’s ordination?

RichardJos.

 

[NoWhereMan]

If the male person to be ordained knowingly enters into the seminary to become a priest only for
example: financial security, continue same sex activity or a member of a subversive group.
Would the priest’s ordination be valid and if so, Is it possible for a declaration of nullity (invalidity) to be issued for priest’s ordination?

RichardJos.

I once knew a Lady who was a lay teacher in a Catholic School, she had a lot of dealing with the priest, her theory was, who knows for what real reason a man becomes a Priest, Thats something to think about

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If the male person to be ordained knowingly enters into the seminary to become a priest only for
example: financial security, continue same sex activity or a member of a subversive group.
Would the priest’s ordination be valid and if so, Is it possible for a declaration of nullity (invalidity) to be issued for priest’s ordination?

RichardJos.

Most likely

No, unless something is found invalid about the Ordination.

 

[diggerdomer]

If the male person to be ordained knowingly enters into the seminary to become a priest only for
example: financial security, continue same sex activity or a member of a subversive group.
Would the priest’s ordination be valid and if so, Is it possible for a declaration of nullity (invalidity) to be issued for priest’s ordination?

RichardJos.

There’s no declaration of nullity for ordination.

 

[Seatuck]

Once a priest always a priest. You can’t undo an ordination just like you can’t undo a baptism. As long as the intent to ordain is there, apostolic succession is there and the proper words are used it will be valid.

 

[Sancto_Spiritu]

I once knew a Lady who was a lay teacher in a Catholic School, she had a lot of dealing with the priest, her theory was, who knows for what real reason a man becomes a Priest, Thats something to think about

Not really.

The “proof” ONE person has regarding their experience with ONE priest is not sufficient ground for any conclusions.

 

[Brendan]

The Intent is actually on the part of the bishop, the matter is a baptized, confirmed male.

The person has to consent to recieve the Sacrament, but consent is what this person is doing.

So yes, it would be valid, but it would bring grave harm to the person;s soul if they acted on their intent.

 

[Just_Lurking]

See here for the canon law on declarations of nullity for sacred ordination. It doesn’t discuss the actual reasons as far as I can see.

 

[FrDavid96]

See here for the canon law on declarations of nullity for sacred ordination. It doesn’t discuss the actual reasons as far as I can see.

The grounds for a declaration of nullity for ordination are found within canons 1024 - 1049. This is simply a matter of how the canons are grouped together, that we see a “gap” between 1049 and 1708 (for the benefit of those who didn’t click the link).

 

[FrCorey]

You are a priest forever. it cannot be undone. ordination is said to make a permanent mark upon the person. You can have your faculties removed and would not be able to use your priestly faculties in public. meaning you can only perform the sacraments in private for your own worship.

 

[centurionguard]

You are a priest forever. it cannot be undone. ordination is said to make a permanent mark upon the person. You can have your faculties removed and would not be able to use your priestly faculties in public. meaning you can only perform the sacraments in private for your own worship.

The only way I heard a priest’s ordination becomes nullified is through excommunication from the Church. A priest is forever even if he turns evil and God forbid conducts an Black Mass. But do not some priests excommunicate themselves through their actions ?

 

[FrDavid96]

A declaration of nullity for ordination would be the same principle as one declaring a marriage null. It’s a determination that the ordination never happened in the first place, despite appearances. If it’s determined that he truly was ordained, there is no way of reversing that.

Even excommunication does not “un-do” an ordination. It prevents the priest from exercising the priestly ministry; an important distinction.

 

[Bluegoat]

I thought that the op meant nullify in the same sense a marriage is annulled. If the person did not meet the criteria to become a priest to begin with, then would the ordination have “taken?”

I’m not sure about the reasons given in the OP though. People do things for the wrong reasons sometimes, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become something more. OTOH, it seems marriages get annulled willy-nilly, so maybe I am wrong about that.

 

[passus]

I thought that the op meant nullify in the same sense a marriage is annulled. If the person did not meet the criteria to become a priest to begin with, then would the ordination have “taken?”

If there were some impediment, then no, the ordination would not have been valid–is what he’s saying.

 

[FrDavid96]

I thought that the op meant nullify in the same sense a marriage is annulled. If the person did not meet the criteria to become a priest to begin with, then would the ordination have “taken?”

I’m not sure about the reasons given in the OP though. People do things for the wrong reasons sometimes, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become something more. OTOH, it seems marriages get annulled willy-nilly, so maybe I am wrong about that.

Right. That’s the only way a “declaration of nullity” would apply for an ordination; the same as a marriage. (“attempt at…”) The Sacrament never happened, despite appearances that it did.

As far as the reasons go, that would depend upon just what “criteria to become a priest” was not met. Some of them make the attemp at ordination outright invalid, some make it illicit. That’s why the Holy See has to make the determination. It’s also extremely unlikely that such a thing would happen because there is very little which would make an attempt at ordination invalid (most would be illicit, but still valid), and the impediments which would make it invalid are the sort of thing that the ordaining bishop is very careful to investigate before even admitting the candidate to seminary (eg the candidate was never baptised).

The only time this decision would occur on the local level would be if one simply claims to be a priest, but there’s no evidence of an ordination–and such a thing is very unlikely because in practical terms, it would only be possible if a “priest” were to come from another diocese, and when that happens, the receiving bishop is very very careful to verify that the priest is who he claims to be.

Becoming a priest for the wrong reason would not make the ordination invalid.

In recent history, many young men joined the seminary simply because there were no other appealing employment alternatives for them (especially sons of immigrants in the 1st half of the 20th century), yet that did not make the ordinations invalid–indeed many of them became very holy priests.