Page "Episcopi vagantes" Paragraph 10

When it declared devoid of canonical effect the consecration ceremony conducted by Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục for the Carmelite Order of the Holy Face group at midnight of 31 December 1975, the Holy See refrained from pronouncing on its validity.

It made the same statement with regard also to later ordinations by those bishops, saying that, " as for those who have already thus unlawfully received ordination or any who may yet accept ordination from these, whatever may be the validity of the orders ( quidquid sit de ordinum validitate ), the Church does not and will not recognise their ordination ( ipsorum ordinationem ), and will consider them, for all legal effects, as still in the state in which they were before, except that the ... penalties remain until they repent " ( Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Decree Episcopi qui alios of 17 September 1976-Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1976, page 623 ).