The film makers really messed up

Over and over we see references to Uffizi not being a priest any longer. Luke tells him to go after the girl and he appears seems to believe that he can't offer Dracula absolution any longer (which is weird, because he asks Julia if she has anything to confess in the very next scene). But just because he removed his collar and walked away doesn't mean that he is no longer a priest. Unless there was something going on between the walking away scene and the first where he's in street clothes, he is still a priest because he has never been released from his vows by the Church. He might not feel as if he's a priest or serve Mass or live as a priest, but he is still a priest according to church law. In short, he could have "saved" Dracula and quite possibly himself. I personally believe that he chose not to save himself, recognizing himself as being too "tainted" to go on "merely" baptizing babies in a parish somewhere.

I am curious--I never did see the first Dracula. Did he appear in that movie? Where we ever told to what order he belonged (if any)? I am just curious and can't really spend a lot of time looking for the answer right at this minute.