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'''''Episcopi vagantes''''' (Latin for "wandering bishops") are persons who have been [[ordination|ordained]] as [[bishop]]s in some irregular fashion, especially those claiming to have valid [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] orders although their ordinations were not authorized by the Roman Catholic Church. (The singular form of the phrase is ''episcopus vagans''.)
The Vatican considers some such ordinations "valid" but "unlawful," but the Orthodox Church considers them simply not to be ordinations and thus also considers persons so ordained not to be bishops at all. This is because unlike the Vatican, it considers [[apostolic succession]] to exist only in bishops who are regularily ordained by bishops that are neither themselves defrocked, nor teach heretical teachings. Holy Orders are not regarded by the Orthodox as "indelible," thus if a bishop breaks from the Church, his episcopacy (and thus his ability to ordain) does not follow him.
