Składanowski, Marcin (Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL, 2013)
According to the Catholic doctrine, apostolic succession is necessarily and essentially related to the ministry in the Church. The most important sign and the guarantee of Apostolic succession is the unbroken succession of bishops which are the successors of the Apostles. The situation of the Church of Sweden is unique: it has a historic episcopate but it has adopted the Lutheran doctrine of the sacraments and of the Church. For this reason, the Catholic Church does not recognise the validity of the Swedish Lutheran ordinations. For the same reason, it can not accept the existence of Apostolic succession within the Church of Sweden.
