Post by Pacelli on Jul 15, 2021 11:19:49 GMT -5
The following, Absolutely Null and Utterly Void The 1968 Rite of Episcopal Consecration, Cekada, Anthony, 2006, is a very impressive study that refutes the arguments of three defenders of the new rite, and makes a compelling case, as did the paper on the same subject by the late Dr. Rama Coomaraswamy, that the new consecration rite of bishops approved by Paul VI finds no support from eastern rites, that it is truly a novel rite, never before used in Church history, and is ambiguous.
The article is excellent, but I do have one quibble: Catholics must be very careful in making a statement that a rite that exists outside the Church is invalid. Of course, one can opine that such and such a rite is invalid, but only a Pope can make such a determination and then proceed to authoritatively rule on it.
Fr. Cekada in his title, using the same terminology used by Pope Leo XIII in his declaration against the Anglican orders, makes his position clear, and also in his conclusion states, "C. Conclusion: An Invalid Sacrament, Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons, an episcopal consecration conferred with the sacramental form promulgated by Paul VI in 1968 is invalid."
I believe that we must limit ourselves to stating that the new rite is doubtful, and therefore for all practical purposes, act as if the rite is invalid, until a Pope settles the matter. Any assertion prior to the Pope's decision that the rite is certainly invalid must only be viewed as an opinion, and must not be acted upon in the practical order, meaning that if the rite is certainly invalid, then complete re-ordination is necessary for those "priests" coming over from the new rite, but if the rite is doubtful, any "priest" coming over to Tradition and seeking to have certainly valid orders would receive conditional ordination, and not be re-ordained in the old rite.
The full article is linked in PDF HERE
An abbreviated version of the article in the form of a two page summary is linked in PDF HERE
The article is excellent, but I do have one quibble: Catholics must be very careful in making a statement that a rite that exists outside the Church is invalid. Of course, one can opine that such and such a rite is invalid, but only a Pope can make such a determination and then proceed to authoritatively rule on it.
Fr. Cekada in his title, using the same terminology used by Pope Leo XIII in his declaration against the Anglican orders, makes his position clear, and also in his conclusion states, "C. Conclusion: An Invalid Sacrament, Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons, an episcopal consecration conferred with the sacramental form promulgated by Paul VI in 1968 is invalid."
I believe that we must limit ourselves to stating that the new rite is doubtful, and therefore for all practical purposes, act as if the rite is invalid, until a Pope settles the matter. Any assertion prior to the Pope's decision that the rite is certainly invalid must only be viewed as an opinion, and must not be acted upon in the practical order, meaning that if the rite is certainly invalid, then complete re-ordination is necessary for those "priests" coming over from the new rite, but if the rite is doubtful, any "priest" coming over to Tradition and seeking to have certainly valid orders would receive conditional ordination, and not be re-ordained in the old rite.
The full article is linked in PDF HERE
An abbreviated version of the article in the form of a two page summary is linked in PDF HERE