Olo,
I knew someone will have seen. I actually misread the title of the thread and somehow thought its was asking how ‘we’ address the wives… sorry for confusing you and any other reader who saw it. though as I’ve re-edited that first post, some do try to just use their Christian names to them too. It don’t sit well with me. But well. I think it is an attempt to be ‘equal’ be familiar or something with them?
hmm
I am a recent convert into the Catholic Church (Deo Gratias!), and I was wondering how we address clergy from Protestant Denominations (any of the denoms is good to look at, but I was especially wondering about the Episcopal Church *). I know that they do not have valid apostolic sucession, and therefore do not have valid Holy Orders; so I figured it would be incorrect/(wrong?) to address a Protestant minister as “Father” or “Rev.” (and with the advent of female clergy in many of the Protestant denominations it gets even more confusing), but then there’s the issue of courtesy. What is everyones’ take on it?
(My guess would be it is ok for addressing Eastern Orthodox clergy by their titles, seeing as they have valid sucession.)*
Well, I would say probably the same way I address my parent’s Roman Catholic priest as Father and then his name, even though I feel that the the Roman church by its doctrines and practices has done much to separate itself from what Jesus taught the Apostles and what the Early Church practiced. I would just simply say that courtesy wins the day
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger must have missed the memo concerning indifference.
Common courtesy dictates one refers or addresses them by the title they prefer. I have a very good friend who is a Catholic priest. I refer to him as Father _______.
My lutheran pastor prefers Pastor _______.
Years ago I had a close association with an Episcopal parish and school. The rector there preferred Mr. _________. That is how I referred to him.
There was an Anglican clergymen in town some years back who preferred Father ______.
That’s what I called him.
My dad was a Luheran pastor who had a doctorate in sacred theology. Some referred to him as Dr. _________, but Pastor was more common. I referred to him as Dad
Reverend is usually a title, but not in the sense of the way one might address him.
Referring to an Anglican priest as Father, or a Luther clergyman as Pastor is not a compromising of your Catholic belief that protestant clergy are not in apostolic succession. It is simply good manners.
Jon
.) But then, we were in a Free Methodist church, & most everybody called each other “brother” & “sister”, anyhow. Made me love him as my brother in Christ without ever having met him.
bit about your father!}The United Church minister and the Anglican priest (Archdeacon) in this town are both women. To me they are Rev. Charlene and Rev. Kathy. If they wish, I’ll call them Charlene & Kathy but so far they haven’t given me that permission.
How about “Padre” or “Parson” like as in some western movies?
I don’t know of any denominations or churches that still use “parson” (although they do have pasonages). Nothing wrong with it that I know of, it’s just outdated.
I don’t know about Parson but outside of a Spanish parish, the only person I’d call Padre is a military chaplain. I don’t know if it’s the same in other militaries but in Canada the Chaplains are always known as ‘The Catholic Padre’ and ‘The Protestant Padre’ and called Padre Surname by most people. A Catholic parishioner might call the priest Fr. Given Name or Surname, but everyone else calls him Padre Surname.
Remember the Christmas song “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” “In the meadow we could build a snowman and pretend that he is ‘Parson Brown’” He’ll say “are you married” we’ll say “no man” but you can do the job when you’re in town."
I’m familiar with the term but cannot recall hearing it used outside of that song, although it’s not rare to see it in older books – ie Canterbury Tales. I know that sometimes a rectory or manse is called a parsonage but again, it’s not something that you hear much these days.