H
homeric
Guest
Can someone please verify the list below?
Pope: Your/His Holiness
Cardinal: Your/His Eminence
Bishop: Your/His Excellency
Pope: Your/His Holiness
Cardinal: Your/His Eminence
Bishop: Your/His Excellency
How to refer to the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops directly and indirectly
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C
Caesar
Guest
Yes, that is correct. Here is a helpful link: fisheaters.com/addressingclergy.html
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Sarabande
Guest
I’m so glad I found this thread. A visiting Archbishop came back to the sacristy after his mass on Sunday. He was so nice and said hello to me and all I could do was to greet him back with a smile and say hello and ask him how he was. I couldn’t think of what to address him. I felt so dumb!!! 
So, I was at a loss for words.
So, I was at a loss for words.
L
LilyM
Guest
I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded what you called himI’m so glad I found this thread. A visiting Archbishop came back to the sacristy after his mass on Sunday. He was so nice and said hello to me and all I could do was to greet him back with a smile and say hello and ask him how he was. I couldn’t think of what to address him. I felt so dumb!!!
I suppose you could’ve just called him ‘Archbishop’ and left it at that.Mind you I had the same problem on Sunday - our Cardinal, who was celebrating Mass, was greeting parishioners outside afterwards - for the life of me I couldn’t remember whether he was an ‘Eminence’ or an ‘Excellency’
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Sarabande
Guest
You’re probably right. It’s just that earlier in the morning, while the Archbishop was still saying the mass, I had called my pastor, who is a monsigneur, “Father”. I know he didn’t mind, but I was still embarrassed by that. 
J
Joe_Kelley
Guest
Many years ago Cardinal Cushing visited the parish where my wife was Music Director. She had practiced up genuflect on the left knee, kiss his ring, address him as Your Eminence. Come the day someone brought him up to meet her as she was playing the organ. Being distracted she shook his hand and said Good Afternoon Father. He laughed.
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mystified
Guest
I was asked to provide transportation for our auxiliary bishop and was at a loss concerning proper form.
So I asked him. He explained that Excellency was the formal address, but that Bishop was acceptable, but in his case, he was not offended in the least if addressed as Father. Every monsignor I’ve encountered was satisfied with Father.
So I asked him. He explained that Excellency was the formal address, but that Bishop was acceptable, but in his case, he was not offended in the least if addressed as Father. Every monsignor I’ve encountered was satisfied with Father.
A
Augustini
Guest
That fish eater’s website is good. However, I couldn’t help but notice that it says for a British Cardinal, one is to address him as Your Grace. I have never known this to be correct - only that he is to be referred to in the same way one would refer to any Cardinal (Your Eminence).
Similarly, exceptions to the rules regarding Archbishops and Bishops in Commonwealth countries is true, but only when the said person had a diocese there. Titular dioceses do not qualify. It must also be noted that due to the Church of England, the use of such titles (which borrow from the peerage system - e.g. an Archbishop is the equivalent of a Duke) for Catholic Arch/Bishops is not formally recognised.
It can all be very confusing - I was at an ordination to the priesthood recently, where the ordaining Archbishop was english, but was in fact an Apostolic Nuncio, and because his archdiocese was not in England, he was referred to as Your Excellency. Although he did have a titular diocese in Scotland. So I was thrown until I got books out on the subject. Debrett’s New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners is an excellent book for this kind of thing.
It also highlights some other really interesting things - like how to close a formal letter to the Pope:
I have the honour to be,
Most Holy Father,
Your Holiness’s humble and obedient child (servant if you’re not a Catholic).
Similarly, exceptions to the rules regarding Archbishops and Bishops in Commonwealth countries is true, but only when the said person had a diocese there. Titular dioceses do not qualify. It must also be noted that due to the Church of England, the use of such titles (which borrow from the peerage system - e.g. an Archbishop is the equivalent of a Duke) for Catholic Arch/Bishops is not formally recognised.
It can all be very confusing - I was at an ordination to the priesthood recently, where the ordaining Archbishop was english, but was in fact an Apostolic Nuncio, and because his archdiocese was not in England, he was referred to as Your Excellency. Although he did have a titular diocese in Scotland. So I was thrown until I got books out on the subject. Debrett’s New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners is an excellent book for this kind of thing.
It also highlights some other really interesting things - like how to close a formal letter to the Pope:
I have the honour to be,
Most Holy Father,
Your Holiness’s humble and obedient child (servant if you’re not a Catholic).
S
Soldier4Christ
Guest
Myself and a few other military Catholic young adults were at a conference thing for Catholics Seeking Christ, a young adult program in the Archdiocese for Military Services. On the second day of it one of the Bishops came and none of us really knew how to address him. So we asked him, and he just said Bishop. He said nothing of Your Excellency. I suppose it depends on the individual. I’m not sure I’d like people calling me “Your Excellency”. It sounds too royal, or something.
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