Q: If a bishop from the Anglican Church or the Episcopal Church becomes a Latin-rite Catholic, is he still considered a bishop? Does he then become a recipient of apostolic succession?
A: Such a person is initially considered a layperson. He could seek ordination as a Roman Catholic priest. If the man has taken a promise of celibacy, he could later be named a bishop and at that point would share in apostolic succession. Married Catholic priests cannot be made bishops in the Catholic or Orthodox Churches.
There is at least one Roman Catholic bishop in England who was originally an Anglican priest, then became a Roman Catholic, was later ordained a Roman Catholic priest and finally was appointed a bishop.
