Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: ThomasMore
An ordination can never be undone, but an individual can be stripped of any jurisdiction to exercise priestly functions and therefore be permanently laicized.

The reason why a marriage can be annulled is because the ministers of the sacrament of marriage are not the priest (who merely stands as the Church's witness) but the two baptized Christians who contract the marriage by their vows.

If one of them never truly intended to enter into a Christian marriage, then there never was a marriage and the sacrament never took place.

In the case of ordination, the minister is the bishop and the ordinand is merely a recipient of the sacrament, not a minister. What the bishop accomplishes in the sacrament is ex opere operato, indelible, and cannot be undone

If the ordinand is not a valid candidate (i.e. mentally disfigured by perversion, in this case) then he is guilty of fraud and the Church is justified in removing the benefits of the sacrament from him, including any rights, dignities and duties accruing to the priesthood, without appeal.

33 posted on 03/21/2002 6:44:59 AM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies ]


To: wideawake
Thanks for the explanation!
38 posted on 03/21/2002 7:07:26 AM PST by ThomasMore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson