Question:
Answer:
The Catholic Church does not recognize them as valid. In contrast, the Church does recognize as valid the episcopal ordinations of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (CCC 1399) and the Polish National Church (see also the Code of Canon Law, can. 844.2).
Though the CEC and its parent body the ICCEC claim valid apostolic succession through some schismatic Catholic bishops, notably Carlos Duarte Costa, there are serious doubts as to whether valid apostolic lines and doctrinal belief have been maintained, both of which are essential for the valid ordination of bishops. In addition, there is the fundamental question as to whether these “consecrated bishops” were validly ordained priests to begin with, something that could be overcome by a validly ordained bishop who could ordain them to both the priesthood and the episcopacy, but that can’t be presumed.
In contrast, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s consecration of four Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) priests as bishops in June 1988 was illicit but undoubtedly valid. (By the way, the CEC gets its name not because of any origin in the Anglican or Episcopal churches but because the CEC believes it has valid episcopal/apostolic lines, i.e., again, validly ordained bishops.)