[FJ290]

The Catechism says that valid orders are absent in the Protestant communities. It doesn't address the issue of post-Reformation Western groups in schism from Rome.

Fine. If you are in schism with Rome, post Reformation, what makes you any different from the other Protestant communities?

[Campion]

If you are in schism with Rome, post Reformation, what makes you any different from the other Protestant communities?

Most of the Protestant groups didn't start out with valid orders in the first place (Church of England being the main exception, at least at first). No validly ordained bishops means that you have no valid orders to pass on.

The CofE lost valid orders in the 1550's, when they altered their ordination ritual to remove references to the sacrificial nature of the Mass. (Something all other Protestants also deny.)

By comparison, the Old Catholics, PNCC, etc., never altered their ordination rituals, and did start out with valid orders.

[sitetest]

Dear FJ290,

I don't know if you may have missed #76, which relates the validity of Old Catholic Holy Orders to that of the Polish National Catholic Church.


sitetest