How do you prefer to address a priest? Father John? or Father Smith? or simply John?

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I do it depending on the priest’s preference. Some prefer last name, some prefer first name. Just go with the flow and go with what is most preferred by the parish and the priest.
 
I said ‘Father LastName’ in the poll, but there are priests that I call ‘Father FirstName’ and even those that I call by their first name alone. Usually I call the priest by the name he introduces himself by. Priests that I have known for 20+ years, or known before their ordination I call by their first name only.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
I do it depending on the priest’s preference. Some prefer last name, some prefer first name. Just go with the flow and go with what is most preferred by the parish and the priest.
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I didn’t answer the poll, because it is not my preference, but the priest preference that I follow. Although I have had a hard time transitioning to calling an old college (drinking and dancing) friend Father First Name.
 
My confessor is a Protonotary Apostolic. I call him “Your Excellency.” It’s a term of affection. Wouldn’t do it in public. He prefers (and refers to himself as) Monsignor. I know other Monsignori, who prefer “Father.”

Instead of Fr. FirstName or Fr. LastName, it is often convenient to refer to a priest simply as “Father.” However, I use “Fr. LastName” unless personally invited to use “Fr. FirstName” just as I expect strangers to address me as Mrs. LastName until invited to address me as FirstName.
 
Joannm said:
I always address them by Father Firstname. If a priest insists to be called by his last name then I think he should extend the courtesy and call me by my last name as well if he wants to be that formal. I call our bishop by his last name. The priests I work with, and a few others who are friends, I call by their first name but not in public.
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Is it customary in our culture for one adult to call another lay adult by their last names? Probably not. So you should be called by your first name. It is, however, customary for a (diocesan) priest to be called Fr. Lastname, so you should call him by that.

To the original topic…Here are my rules:
  1. Traditionally diocesan priests are called “Fr. Lastname” so this is what I do.
  2. Traditionally priests of a religious order are called “Fr. Firstname” so this is what I do.
  3. There are some diocesan priests who ask to be called “Fr. Firstname” and I humbly submit to their preference. As long as it is respectful, I will abide by a priest’s preferred form of address.
 
It depends on the priest. I just address them as “Father” with no other name attached to the title. I call them Father, and whatever name they use after that if I have to address them around other priests.
 
A priest who is a very close friend of my wife and myself, ask that we just call him Leo.

Another priest who is a close friend, just goes by Father George.
It be next to impossible for most people to pronounce his last name.

Jim
 
If he is a close friend of the family, I call him “Padre”
Otherwise, Fr. Firstname
 
It seems that any priest with a last name which is difficult to pronouce tends to get his first name used more frequently.

I do know a priest who came into a parish and asked that he be called “Fr. Firstname”, as this is how he had been referred to in other parishes for some years. It didn’t take. The parish was more traditional in its sensibilities on that matter and most couldn’t bring themselves to call him by anything but his last name.
 
I didn’t vote because I think it depends…some priests, especially if they’re a pastor, PREFER Fr. Smith, where as younger or less “formal” priests might prefer Fr. John. I usually ask which they prefer and go with that 🙂 .
 
Undressing in any manner he wishes to be. With one exception. A good friend of mine who is a priest asked me to call him by his first name. I told them I would not be comfortable doing that.

If I were a priest, BTW, I would ask to be addressed using my last name.
 
estesbob said:
Undressing in any manner he wishes to be. With one exception. A good friend of mine who is a priest asked me to call him by his first name. I told them I would not be comfortable doing that.

If I were a priest, BTW, I would ask to be addressed using my last name.
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Addressing, you mean? 😉
 
Father Lastname is what I prefer. I think anything else is just too personal and informal and not respectful enough. But I’m pretty old-fashioned when it comes to stuff like that. :rolleyes:

~Liza
 
lizaanne said:
Father Lastname is what I prefer. I think anything else is just too personal and informal and not respectful enough. But I’m pretty old-fashioned when it comes to stuff like that. :rolleyes:

~Liza
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But what about priests of a religious order? The long standing tradition is to address them by Fr. Firstname.
 
lepanto said:
Assuming that a priest does not care (or hasn’t mentioned) how he likes to be addressed, how do YOU prefer to address a priest?

By his first name only, as in “John”

Father firstname, as in “Father John”

Father lastname, as in “Father Smith”

Please state the reason for your preference.
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This would really depend on the situation. In most cases, when I know the Priest, I call him “Father John”. If I’ve never met him before, then I use “Father Last Name” until we’ve had a chance to get to know one another. After that, I’ll ask him if “Father John” is okay.

There is one other instance, though. A local Priest with whom I am friends also happens to go to the same health club as I attend. When he comes in “civvies”, I address him by his first name, such as “Hi Pierre!” If he goes to the club while wearing Black and White, then “Father Pierre” is more appropriate. The rationale is that, if he is dressed in civilian clothing, he is on his own time and wishes to just go for a workout. Let’s face facts: He’s entitled to some “private time”, just the same as anyone else.

P.S. And if he challenges me to a game of “HORSE” on the basketball court, I’m going to try to beat him!
 
It depends on the circumstances.

If I know a certain priest personally, and if he asks me to, I will address him in private by his first name, ie. “Father John”. In public, or if I am reffering to him while talking to others, I would address him by his last name, ie. “Father Smith”.

For priests that I do not know personally, I address them by their last name, ie. “Father Smith”.

Some religious priests take a new name at their ordination, so they would be addressed by that name, ie “Father Gregory”, “Father Benedict”, “Father Dominic”.
 
I call him Father Lastname or Father Firstname, depending on how he says he likes to be addressed. Calling a priest by his first name only seems disrespectful, unless they have asked to be called by their first name. Sometimes I just call him Father. 🤷
 
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