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FuzzyBunny116
Guest
Is an archbishop simply the bishop of a larger area, and monsignor simply and honorary title for a priest?
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Sir_Knight
Guest
Yes to both.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Yes
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johnnykins
Guest
Not exactly. An Archbishop is the Bishop of a Metropolitan See - usually a larger diocese, but in any case the main diocese of a province , i.e., there are “suffragen” diocese in the province and the Archbishop chairs meetings of same. He has certain, but limited, powers within the province. Some Archbishops are located just in the curia and are named to a titular metropolitan see that usually no longer exists. For examply the Boston Archdiocese has the Dioceses of Fall River, Worcester, Springfield, Providence, Manchester and Portland as suffragens (maybe Hartfort, too, I’m not sure and not willing to look up just now). The Diocese of Brooklyn is a suffragen of NYC, but is larger than many Archdioceses.
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mosher
Guest
^^ Hartford is an Archdioces and not a suffergan.
Also, to add to that last post by johnneykins a Monsignor is not just an honorary title. Depending on the level of Monsignor that is given as an honor it can make the priest a prelate which has particular canonical rights and privileges associated with the title.
Also, to add to that last post by johnneykins a Monsignor is not just an honorary title. Depending on the level of Monsignor that is given as an honor it can make the priest a prelate which has particular canonical rights and privileges associated with the title.
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jbuck919
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Thanks, Johnnykins and Mosher, you beat me to it.
Monsignor is from the Italian “monsignore,” (my lord) and in parts of Europe has traditionally been the way to address many prelates up to and especially bishop. In fact, where the term originated they would never say “the monsignor” as Americans do, but in France, for instance, would address a bishop as “monseigneur.”
Monsignor is from the Italian “monsignore,” (my lord) and in parts of Europe has traditionally been the way to address many prelates up to and especially bishop. In fact, where the term originated they would never say “the monsignor” as Americans do, but in France, for instance, would address a bishop as “monseigneur.”
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Wendy-Kay
Guest
Our VG was recently given this title, and I tried to find out more about what this will mean in terms of how should I address him. This priest is also the pastor of our parish and my son’s namesake, so I see him alot. Therefore, I address him a lot and I want to be respectful. Will he dress differently? What responsibilities (privileges) will he incur with this distinction? I haven’t found anything in terms I can understand.
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mosher
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Instead of Father it is proper to refer to him as Monsignor.
You will only notice a difference in dress if he wears a cassock.
Without knowing the level of Monsignor that he received I can’t comment on his particular rights and privileges.
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Andreas_Hofer
Guest
Considering that IIRC every Vatican ambassador is an archbishop, there are actually quite a few. I also thought I would add a category of archbishop. You’ve listed those who have a current see and are metropolitans of a province, but there are also some archdioceses that are not metropolitan sees (at least there used to be, perhaps this has changed).
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prv
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We must also note that there is the Archdiocese of the Military Services (USA), which has auxiliary bishops but no suffragen sees.
milarch.org/
milarch.org/
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Wendy-Kay
Guest
Sorry! To elaborate “Right Reverend Monsignor”.
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prv
Guest
Rt. Reverend? Isn’t that the Anglican form of address? I thought it was Very Reverend for a Catholic priest at the rank of Monsignor?
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BillyT92679
Guest
It’s Rev. Msgr. actually. Very Rev. is not used that often in America, just by a certain number of prelates, and mostly with Eastern Catholics. Rt. Reverend is the designation for a Bishop in English Catholicism too.
Usually most Priests still would rather be called Father than Monsignor.
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mosher
Guest
Actually I believe that a Vicar General is a Very Reverand. Right Reverend is reserved from Abbots, Deans and Canons.
No, it extends to particular ranks as I noted above.
True but it is like a Bishop, I frankly don’t care what he wants to be called. It is not about him. I guess it is a lesson that I learned in the Military.
My Junior Marine Officer Instructor told as story that when he was a young Lieutenant he was walking on base and a Corporeal walked against him and did not salute. The young Second Lieutenant didn’t think anything of it but only that maybe the Corporeal forgot or didn’t see or something. But the Sergeant Major was watching and called to the young enlisted Marine and began to chew him up one side and down the other for not saluting an Officer. When the old E-9 got done with the Corporeal he went up to my future Junior Marine Officer Instructor and began to chew him up one side and down the other and when he was done he saluted the young Second Lieutenant and left. What the old E-9 told him was that it wasn’t about him and that the salutes that he received were not about him but rather it was what he represented as a Commissioned Officer - The Marine Corps and that in not demanding the salute he was insulting the memory of every dead Marine and bringing general dishonor on the Corps.
This lesson of the old salty Sergeant Major is one that transfers well to the Church and this understanding would help curtail a lot of false humility among clerics and increase reverence among the faithful.
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Wendy-Kay
Guest
Soooo… the correct way for me to address him is Monsignor?
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mosher
Guest
Yes that is the norm and the informal way of addressing a Monsignor.
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Chatter163
Guest
This is not my experience at all. While I have known many who did not care one way or the other, and a few who actually preferred Father, I have observed that many priests who have earned the title Monsignor are pleased to be so addressed. And they are entitled to it.
After 1968, nearly all Monsignori are properly titled “The Reverend Monsignor John Smith.” There are three different grades of Monsignor, and the title for all three is now the same. However, before the 1968 reforms, most Protonaries Apostolic (the highest grade of Monsignori) were titled “The Right Reverend Monsignor John Smith.” There was actually a lower subgroup of titular protonotaries who did not wear purple, and these were titled “the Very Reverend John Smith.”
Domestic Prelates (now called Prelates of Honor) and Papal Chamberlains were titled “The Very Reverend Monsignor John Smith.” Again, now all three are addressed the same.
Prior to World War I, most American Roman Catholic bishops went by “The Right Reverend John Smith,” but after that period they adopted “The Most Reverend,” just as archbishops use.
“The Very Reverend” is the title today for vicars forane, more commonly known as deans. These are pastors who oversee other pastors in the same area of the diocese–not as an authority, but more as a squad leader, making sure that information is properly disseminated. In many dioceses, the Very Rev. title is not used; instead, the initials V.F. appear after the priest’s name.
The Very Reverend is also the title for rectors of cathedrals and seminaries. This is fairly commonly found. The Very Rev. is also used as a title for chancellors and vicars general who are not themselves monsignori or auxiliary bishops.
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chicago
Guest
Do they keep the title “Very Reverend” if they move onto another position?
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CRW
Guest
Our pastor (very young) was recently been given the title of Very Rev. The announcement stated that he received the title because the diocesan bishop appointed him to an Office in the Chancery.
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mosher
Guest
No, it is a reflection of his station.
As a joke I, with great pomp and circumstance, will call my pastor "The Right and Very Reverend Monsignor "john smith’ who’s presides in charity in the See of Rio Rancho. I laugh, he laughs and then we move on.
For all practical purposes in casual conversation we just replace the word Father with Monsignor when addressing the priest.
Another think to note about the title of Monsignor that is very interesting. Upon the death of the Holy Father all Monsignors lose their title. It is then at the will of the next Holy Father to re-grant that title to them. This is the usual courtesy but there are at times some that the Holy Father will not grant.
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