𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉 𝘼 𝙁𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙀𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎 𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙎: 𝙄𝙎 𝙄𝙏 𝙑𝘼𝙇𝙄𝘿? ... Immediately I saw this question, I remembered a strange incident that happened right in my residential Diocese. A man showed up at one of our parishes late one Saturday evening. He introduced himself as a priest who was travelling north and needed a place to spend the night. The Parish Priest, being hospitable, welcomed him. By the next morning — Sunday — they concelebrated Mass together. From everything that happened, both at the rectory and at the altar, no one suspected anything. After all, there's no physical sign that shows someone is truly ordained. The man wore his vestments, spoke the right words, and even celebrated with reverence. But sometime after, the Parish Priest discovered that he wasn’t a real priest. How he came to know remains between him, the Bishop, and security operatives. Eventually, the man was arrested. He confessed that he had been pulling this off for years — moving from place to place, impersonating a priest and celebrating Masses in different dioceses. When the story broke, people had questions — and rightly so. Was the Mass he celebrated valid? What about the people who went for confession? Or the couples he may have married? Do all those sacraments now count for nothing? Let’s walk through these questions together, one by one. Let’s be clear. When we say “fake priest,” we mean someone who was never validly ordained at all — not someone who was ordained and later suspended or laicized. A suspended or laicized priest may no longer have permission to function publicly, but if he celebrates Mass, it is still valid, though illicit. But if someone was never ordained in the first place — no matter how convincing they sound or look — they simply cannot celebrate any of the sacraments validly. They lack the sacramental character, the invisible spiritual seal that comes with ordination. Without that, they cannot act in persona Christi — in the person of Christ — which is essential for making the Eucharist present. So, to answer the big question: No. If he was never ordained, the Mass was not valid. The bread and wine remained just that — bread and wine. But What About the People Who Attended in Good Faith? This is where the Church’s pastoral heart really shines. God looks at the heart. The people who came to Mass that day weren’t trying to deceive anyone. They came sincerely, with faith and devotion, believing they were participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They offered their hearts to God. That sincerity matters deeply. Even though the sacrament itself wasn’t valid, we trust in God’s mercy. He knows how to meet people even when human circumstances fail them. He can still pour grace into hearts that were open and seeking Him. As for other sacraments he might have performed: baptisms may still be valid if done properly, since anyone can baptize in emergencies; marriages might require review or convalidation, since the couple are the real ministers; but confessions, anointing of the sick, confirmations, and ordinations would all be invalid, because they strictly require a validly ordained priest or bishop. During a discussion about this, someone brought up the phrase “Ex opere operato” to suggest that the Mass still worked since it’s God who acts, not the priest. But that only applies when the person is validly ordained. If he was never ordained at all, then the sacrament simply didn’t happen — so ex opere operato doesn’t apply in such a case. The bottom line is: Valid ordination is essential for valid sacraments. It’s not about rules for rules’ sake — it’s about preserving the precious gifts Jesus entrusted to His Church. This is written by: James Terna ✝️ If you love Catholic content— news, reflections, stories, saints’ lives, doctrinal teachings, and real-life lessons—feel free to follow my profile. You’ll always find something that speaks to you.