Addressing Female Episcopalian Priests

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TexasLoneStar said:
If I want to be called “Father” and am not a priest would you oblige? I sure hope not.
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That’s not a fair comparison. If you are a Catholic layman it would be clearly ridiculous for you to go around expecting to be called Father. But addressing clergy of other denominations in the manner to which they are entitled is not ridiculous and nor is it testifying against the teachings of the Church or invalidating our faith. It is not even incorrect. It is recognising the reality that there are other Christian denominations that are not recognised as Proper Churches but which are nonetheless communities of our fellow Christians. Those denominations use titles such as archbishop, primate, bishop, priest, deacon, elder, pastor, and minister. They don’t mean the same thing that they mean in the Catholic Church or in other Churches that we recognise (Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and some Old Catholic Churches), but they mean something in their own denominations. Here in Britain, for example, somebody called the Rt Revd Dr Martin Lind serves as Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. It seems much more constructive to recognise this fact rather than call him Dr Martin Lind, a heretical and schismatic layman who pretends to be a bishop in a pretend church.
 
JonNC said:
In Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger’s book, “Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith”, he chronicles his letters to and from Lutheran Bishop Johannes Hanselmann. He refers to him as Bishop, out of respect.
I believe the Cardinal’s actions are more in line with Christian charity and love.
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I was slightly acquainted with the late Rt Revd and Rt Hon Mgr Graham Leonard, who, for the benefit of non-British contributors, was a former Anglican bishop of London who became a Catholic priest. He was also a friend of Cardinal Ratzinger. He told me that even after his reception into the Church and conditional ordination as a Catholic priest Cardinal Ratzinger continued to address him as “Bishop Graham”, even though he was not a bishop of the Catholic Church (it’s possible that he was a validly but irregularly ordained bishop through an Old Catholic co-consecrator). He was granted the style of “Rt Revd” (the same style used by Anglican bishops and UK Catholic bishops) by Pope John Paul II. A tutor of mine at university also knew Cardinal Ratzinger well from his time at the CDF and confirmed that he is a person of the utmost humility and courtesy and not remotely as dogmatic (in the colloquial sense) as he was presented in the media (including the Catholic media). If it’s good enough for two popes I guess it’s good enough for me.
 
My thanks to my fellow @Londoner for the clarity and comprehensiveness of those posts. As to the facts therein contained, they certainly conform to my own amateur understanding; as to the courtesy and charity they display, those seem to me admirable.
 
Londoner said:
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JonNC:
In Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger’s book, “Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith”, he chronicles his letters to and from Lutheran Bishop Johannes Hanselmann. He refers to him as Bishop, out of respect.
I believe the Cardinal’s actions are more in line with Christian charity and love.
Click to expand...
I was slightly acquainted with the late Rt Revd and Rt Hon Mgr Graham Leonard, who, for the benefit of non-British contributors, was a former Anglican bishop of London who became a Catholic priest. He was also a friend of Cardinal Ratzinger. He told me that even after his reception into the Church and conditional ordination as a Catholic priest Cardinal Ratzinger continued to address him as “Bishop Graham”, even though he was not a bishop of the Catholic Church (it’s possible that he was a validly but irregularly ordained bishop through an Old Catholic co-consecrator). He was granted the style of “Rt Revd” (the same style used by Anglican bishops and UK Catholic bishops) by Pope John Paul II. A tutor of mine at university also knew Cardinal Ratzinger well from his time at the CDF and confirmed that he is a person of the utmost humility and courtesy and not remotely as dogmatic (in the colloquial sense) as he was presented in the media (including the Catholic media). If it’s good enough for two popes I guess it’s good enough for me.
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I am blessed by your insightful post that reveals, in my view, the real Catholic Church.
Thank you
 
Years ago, I had a Lutheran friend her referred to one of their deacons as “deaconess”.

For what it’s worth, the Episcopal Church is still “divided” on the women’s ordination issue. There are some episcopal dioceses in the United States (the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth for one) that refuse to ordain women. I was also impressed that quite a few Baptist conventions (I believe the Southern Baptist Convention based in Texas) does not allow women to be pastors. I didn’t know that until a news station in Dallas reported that not long ago, and it wasn’t until about a year ago I learned that the Mormon church reserves ordination to men alone.

Anyway, if I met one (some Methodist ministers are female, and the Navy Chief of Chaplains is female - I think she’s Presbyterian, and holds the rank of RADM) I would probably address her as “pastor” or “reverend”.

By the way, Catholic priests in the military more often than not prefer to be addressed as “Father”, regardless of rank. That’s good to remember when visiting a base or post, but in uniform it’s easier to see the rank (like LT, LCDR, CDR, CAPT for Navy and Coast Guard, or CPT, MAJ, LTC, COL for Air Force or Army - Marine Bases are staffed by Navy Chaplains, as is the Coast Guard, but Navy Chaplains can wear Coast Guard uniforms) and the Chaplain insignia. It’s hard to tell denomination when a Chaplain is in uniform.
 
Are you referring to the former Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, headed by +Iker, which left TEC and formed part of the origin of the ACNA? Or the current Diocese of Fort Worth, which is still part of TEC? I would be surprised if the latter did not, as they would consider it, ordain/consecrate women. But I don’t follow TEC closely.
 
GKMotley said:
Are you referring to the former Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, headed by +Iker, which left TEC and formed part of the origin of the ACNA? Or the current Diocese of Fort Worth, which is still part of TEC? I would be surprised if the latter did not, as they would consider it, ordain/consecrate women. But I don’t follow TEC closely.
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GKC, I believe that the TEC Diocese of Fort Worth does ordain women to the priesthood. There is no diocese in the country now that does not.

It’s confusing, I know, with all the legal proceedings and ACNA being so strong in that region.
 
I would be astounded if any diocese in TEC did not do so.

I often point out the confusing nature of Anglicanism.
 
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