Question:
Answer:
There is very little that would invalidate a priest’s ordination. Pope Pius XII, in Sacramentum Ordinis, set forth the requirements for a valid ordination. These requirements were very simple:
- The laying on of hands
- The words of ordination set forth by the Church
- The proper intention by the bishop
- A recipient who is not receiving the sacrament against his will
These requirements are interpreted in the broadest possible sense. It would be chaos in the Church if any little thing could invalidate an ordination. Every priest’s sacraments could be called into question, and countless confessions, anointings, and Masses would be questioned.
Being in a state of mortal sin does not invalidate the reception of a sacrament. Marriage and confirmation can both be validly received in a state of mortal sin. It is a great offense to the sacrament, but does not invalidate the sacrament. A priest who is ordained in a state of mortal sin should confess it, but he is still a priest.
Someone who rejects a teaching of the Church is also validly ordained. Such a person should not be ordained, but once ordained he is validly a priest. After all, the Eastern Orthodox and several ancient Christian communities explicitly reject certain Catholic teachings, yet the Church has always accepted their ordinations as valid.