[Secret Agent Man]

Just as a question, as the article states, that sacrilege is a grave sin, if all the priests and above are doing this, who do they go to get real absolution? And in their grave sin state, how does this affect the lay person who needs absolution?

[Brian Kopp DPM]

No idea. If this happens, we're in uncharted territory.

I'd still like to hope it won't happen, but these two recent stories strongly indicate otherwise:

Pope Francis wants to change two major Catholic laws he sees as 'archaic'

Pope Francis and “doctors of the law”

[BlatherNaut]

Our marriage was performed by a priest who was later revealed to be a serial pervert and was laicized. The efficacy of the Sacrament is fortunately not contingent upon the priest’s spiritual condition.

---

When a sacrament is celebrated according to the norms of the Church and in faith, we believe that it confers the grace it signifies. While a human being is the minister of the sacrament, Christ Himself is the one who is at work: He baptizes, He confirms, He absolves, He changes the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, He unites a couple in marriage, He ordains, and He anoints. Acting in His sacraments, Christ communicates the grace– that sharing in the divine life and love of God– offered through each sacrament. (Confer the Catechism, #1127-28.)

Therefore, the Church has taught that the sacraments act ex opere operato, that is “by the very fact of the action’s being performed.” The efficacy of the sacrament does not depend upon the human minister– whether a bishop, priest, deacon, or layperson– being free of mortal sin and thereby in a state of grace. Here then is the distinction between Christ who instituted the sacraments and acts through them to communicate His grace, and the human person who acts as Christ’s minister in performing the sacrament.

http://catholicstraightanswers.com/if-a-priest-is-in-the-state-of-mortal-sin-can-he-still-offer-the-mass-and-perform-the-other-sacraments/

[JoeFromSidney]

And in their grave sin state, how does this affect the lay person who needs absolution?

Even if the priest is in a state of grave sin, the sacraments he delivers are still valid. He can still absolve of sin, confect the Eucharist, and administer the Last Sacraments validly.

However, the act adds to his own burden of sin.

Note that any person can administer Baptism, and the Sacrament of Matrimony is administered by the couple themselves but must be witnessed by a priest or deacon. Confirmation and Holy Orders must be administered by a Bishop.