Dear James:

I am very sorry that it has taken several months to answer your question. This forum has been closed since 2005. I am not sure how you and others found the submit page, but I will have to look into it. That is why I did not notice your question until now. I just discovered this today. . .

To your question:

The Lutheran church lost their apostolic succession almost immediately. Martin Luther denied all of the Sacraments except Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Since the Sacrament of Holy Orders was downgraded from a Sacrament to a mere sacred rite the unbroken succession was not longer important or needed.

Lutherns broke the apostolic secession when bishops began to be ordained without apostolic succession. Those bishops then could not validly ordain others. Lutherans by their own doctrine have broken with apostolic succession as they tend to view Apostolic Succession as teaching what the Apostles taught, as opposed to a visible line of succession.

I cannot find any particular document, but that may be because all but the Swedish Lutheran do not claim visible succession. That being the case a declaration by the Catholic Church is not needed. Thus, it is a matter of historical record.

The Swedish Lutherans did maintain succession from what I understand. A few other Lutheran ministers have valid Orders by virtue of being ordained by valid Anglican priest (usually valid through the line of Old Catholics) or by ordination directly through the Old Catholics.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary