Pope Pius XIII - Papal Judgment on Thuc Orders

Papal Judgment on the Thuc Ordinations by Pope Pius XIII December 22, 1998

Now that those with Holy Orders from Msgr. Pierre-Martin Ngo-Dinh-Thuc (1897-1984) are coming to Us to be regularized as priests and Bishops in the Catholic Church it is incumbent upon Us to tell one and all what Our stand is on the validity of their Holy Orders. From the very first time that Msgr. Thuc gave Holy Orders after false Council Vatican II We had a very uncomfortable tentative judgment as to the validity of his ordinations. Why? It was because We judged that he was acting outside of right reason. Hence, this entire judgment is made on one and only one point, and that is, can We accept Msgr. Thuc as having been fully competent, mentally, to administer a sacrament validly?

In a judgment of fact of this nature there is a gray area between black and white. Some will say, he was mentally competent, and others will say that he was not mentally competent. In some forms of athletics there are close calls as to the success of a play. The fans are divided and angry. They could just keep on fighting until it was time to go home, or they can go along with the call of the umpire and get on with the game.

We have a precedent to work with. In a Capuchin Mission there was a Capuchin bishop (Local Ordinary) who had mental problems, and blank-outs was one of them. In the ordinary running of the diocese he gave the priests the permission to bring in a bishop to ordain a man of their Order. When the ceremonies were to start the Capuchin bishop (Local Ordinary) said he would ordain the priest. He went back on his promise. The visiting bishop was there. To make a long story short, the Capuchin Religious superior with competence over the man to be ordained went to the bishop and told him that if he continued to demand that he do the ordination he would call off the ordination. The bishop backed down, and the visiting bishop did the ordination. Consider this: the priests accepted the bishop as being able to make binding decisions in law, but they refused to admit that he was competent to give Holy Orders. The Religious Superior saw his duty, and he did it - for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

We have in Our files long treatises on the mental problems of Msgr. Thuc. The problem that bothers Us the most is the fact that (as reported) he had blank-outs. That was the main reason why the Capuchin Superior refused to let his own Capuchin Local Ordinary ordain his subject to the priesthood. There was no predicting when the blank-outs would occur. Hence, had the ordination taken place the ordination could very well have to be judged to be doubtful. With Msgr. Thuc there was no superior in the world who could stop the ordinations he performed. We now have a post factum situation to judge. We are also aware that like in the ball game - strike or ball - We shall have two camps before us. Some will be satisfied with Our decision, and others will be dissatisfied with our judgment, and a judgment We must make.

It seems fitting that We bring up more testimony as to the mental competence of Msgr. Thuc. While Msgr. Thuc was in a Monastery in New York State We were told that the members of the Monastery would not let phone callers, even priests, talk with Msgr. Thuc on the phone. Were they afraid that Msgr. Thuc would tip his hand of cards (so to say) on the phone while he had no prompting?

While Msgr. Thuc was in that Monastery a priest visited him in person. When We spoke with that priest We asked him for an evaluation of Msgr. Thuc. Here is his exact answer: “Father, he was just like a little child.” He had to have assistants with him when he took a walk in the Monastery garden, for he would get lost there, not being able to find his way back to the Monastery.

As all of the clergy know, when a person who has a baptism outside the Catholic Church enters the Catholic Church, his baptism must be examined in regard: the matter, the form, the intention of the minister, the intention of the rite, and finally the competence of the minister. The ritual opens up one of three alternatives. The former baptism is:

valid,
invalid, or
doubtful.

From that decision (right or wrong) the procedure differs in each case. If the former baptism was 1) valid, then nothing was done in regard the sacrament. If it was 2) invalid, then the sacrament was given without condition. If it was 3) doubtful the sacrament was done over conditionally. It is a happy day when there is no gray area between black and white. The priest has moral certainty. However, where there is a gray area between black and white the priest aggravates over the problem before him. He makes his decision, and lets the rest in the hands of God. It is interesting to read what St. Thomas says about gray areas between black and white. He says that no matter which way one decides, he has an opening for anxiety that he may be making the wrong decision. However, when We study the gift of the Holy Ghost of counsel, We learn that when one uses the gift of counsel, he makes the decision without that anxiety. The virtue of prudence never completely removes that anxiety. For that reason, at this juncture, We must call on the Gift of the Holy Ghost, of counsel, to make the right decision.

After due consultation and much prayer We have decided that the Orders given by Msgr. Thuc, after the time frame of false Council Vatican II, are doubtful. We do not judge anything of his, in this decree, that he did prior to the time frame mentioned above.

It is Our pious hope and great desire that all those involved in the Msgr. Thuc ordinations and consecrations will give this matter their full cooperation. We feel that if We acted in this matter in the opposite direction, that is, in favor of validity, there would be bickering about their validity for the indefinite future, at least, until We or one of Our successors finally judged them to be doubtful and took the necessary corrective action. One thing is sure, Our action closes all bickering about the sacramental descendants of Msgr. Thuc, and that is wonderful for both the Msgr. Thuc priests and bishops and all those they serve to the end of time.

Some of the Msgr. Thuc descendants, at the present time, are without the mental and moral training to perform in the Orders that they now possess. The Roman Pontiff and his bishops must uphold public order. We may not knowingly put wolves in sheep’s clothing in charge of the faithful. We wish that the standards set up at the Council of Trent could be fully implemented today, but that is impossible. Bishops may not be living as husband and wife, and yet a Joseph-Mary relationship is a possibility. St. Peter was married, and yet we read nothing in scripture or tradition that tells us that he ever lived with his wife after becoming a bishop and the Vicar of Christ.

The opening of the priesthood to married men will have to be considered. We feel that it should not be opened up to those who are in the Latin rite. Married priests are in the Oriental Rites, and if they serve in the Latin Rite parishes they may be given the privilege to serve in two Rites.

It is Our desire to use all the good will and all the talent that the faithful bring to Us. We and Our advisors will try to place you where it is good for you and good for the faithful who need you. Some may need just a short training, while others may have a long training before them. Each case rests on its own merits.

As spiritual writers point out, everything that Our Lord performed He did it “because it was the right thing to do.” The consequences to Himself and others did not enter into His doings. From His human will His one and only desire was to do the will of His Father in heaven. May one and all imitate His example, thus bringing glory to the blessed Trinity and souls in the embrace of God.

Given December 22, 1998

Pius, pp. XIII

Top of Page Pope's Homepage Email to Papal Secretary