Recently, a priest in Detroit discovered that he was baptized under incorrect wording: “We baptize you….”, instead of “I baptize you….”, thus invalidating his priesthood and all the sacraments he had performed. He was correctly baptized and re-ordained; as many as possible, under his ministry, were contacted to rectify things. As a Roman Catholic, I’m thankful for shepherds who take doctrine and practice this seriously!

This situation might cause serious doubt in Catholics whose faith and theological understanding are weak. What of inauthentic priests who are not actually producing the Sacrament or giving absolution—and go undetected, perhaps becoming bishops and invalidly ordaining future “priests”? Certainly, priests and bishops, of secret societies or heretical ideologies, who have worked to undermine the church through the centuries, cannot be trusted to have performed baptisms correctly. From the time of the Arian heresy, to priests around the French Revolution or King Henry VIII, to the communist infiltration of the church from a century ago, undoubtedly, some baptisms of priests have been invalid. This mushrooms through the centuries, much more than a butterfly effect. Certainly then, some sacraments have been performed by inauthentic priests, making them invalid. This concern is reasonable and significant.

Perhaps the number of invalidly ordained priests is miniscule—but perhaps not. Who could know? Is one truly receiving Jesus in the Eucharist or truly being absolved of one’s sins by the Office of Reconciliation? Not if the priest is not actually a priest. My faith is in God, then, not in the men who make up the institutional church; the tares have not yet been separated from the wheat. What seems impossibly tangled to us is perfectly manageable to God; his Church cannot be overcome.

While we are bound by the decrees of the Church, God is not. Bishops and priests are responsible for diligently looking into questionable baptisms, but an undetected illicit baptism does not necessitate God’s becoming a moral monster by not forgiving sins of the penitent for situations beyond their ability to know (that their confession was invalid since the priest was invalidly baptized).

Men make mistakes and do evil, God doesn’t. I’m not worried, then, to hear at my judgement: So sorry, but you never actually received forgiveness at Mass or Confession, since your priest wasn’t validly baptized—down you go!

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Let us not fall into the error of the Pharisees, superficially understanding doctrine, judging by mere appearances. For example, “baptism is necessary for salvation” is a true statement—and “baptism by desire,” too, is sound Catholic doctrine. (I’ve recently posted on this.) Without the later statement’s mitigating the former, one becomes a rabid “Catholic Fundamentalist”, like a Pharisee, leaping to harsh, half-baked judgements.

God is a just judge and a loving Father. I will receive the Sacrament and go to confession in good faith, without worrying about the validity of the priest I’m under (unless I have sound reasons for questioning it).