Matthew 23:9; help! should I really call ordained priests "Father"?

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“Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,
2 'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.
3 You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!
5 Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,
6 like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,
7 being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
8 'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.
9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.” - Matthew 23 NJB

Ok, I struggle with this because It seems so explicit to me. And I am too chicken to ask my Priest, Fr. Chad about this, I feel embarrassed about questioning his authority and church tradition.
 
ChrAug said:
“Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,
2 'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.
3 You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!
5 Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,
6 like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,
7 being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
8 'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.
9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.” - Matthew 23 NJB

Ok, I struggle with this because It seems so explicit to me. And I am too chicken to ask my Priest, Fr. Chad about this, I feel embarrassed about questioning his authority and church tradition.
Click to expand...
catholic.com/tracts/call-no-man-father
 
thistle said:
[1]catholic.com/tracts/call-no-man-father
Click to expand...
^thank you, an excellent resource from Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego

Ok, let me see if I got it right; We have enough context to affirm that Jesus was indeed using hyperbole (obvious and intentional exaggeration) in Matthew 23:8-10.
And that Jesus was giving a stern warning against men who are not worthy of honorific titles such as father or teacher.
Since an ordained Catholic Priest represents Jesus Christ’s church on earth, he is spiritual father and guide.[1]

I feel better about this now
 
ChrAug said:
^thank you, an excellent resource from Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego

Ok, let me see if I got it right; We have enough context to affirm that Jesus was indeed using hyperbole (obvious and intentional exaggeration) in Matthew 23:8-10.
And that Jesus was giving a stern warning against men who are not worthy of honorific titles such as father or teacher.
Since an ordained Catholic Priest represents Jesus Christ’s church on earth, he is spiritual father and guide.[1]

I feel better about this now
Click to expand...
This is link with the wedding feast being Christ as the Groom and Church being the Bride, the Church being our mother. It follows that Priests being the representative of Christ on earth being our spiritual fathers. This is their vocation, to take care of a particular Church, to nourish Her, guide Her, etc., to father Her.

I could be wrong.

Peace be to you
 
ChrAug said:
"Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,

7 being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
8 'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.
9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up." - Matthew 23 NJB

Ok, I struggle with this because It seems so explicit to me. And I am too chicken to ask my Priest, Fr. Chad about this, I feel embarrassed about questioning his authority and church tradition.
Click to expand...
fisheaters.com/callingmenfather.html

OK, so what’s He saying here? What’s His point? He is admonishing those who would raise themselves up as “holier than thou,” are spiritually prideful, and boasters. He is saying that we are not to put any man, including ourselves, including the Pope, above God, simple as that. He is not saying that we are not to literally ever call a man father or rabbi or teacher or master; to believe otherwise is to call Him a liar because He Himself calls people father, in both the physical and spiritual sense (in that same chapter, even, in Mark 7, Mark 10, Mark 13, Luke 6, etc.) and doesn’t admonish those who refer to “our father David” as they greet Him during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The four evangelists speak the same way, Christ’s Mother speaks the same way, as does Paul who refers numerous times to our “father Abraham.”

Relevant Scripture

Mark 11:9-10
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Matthew 23:29-31
[Jesus speaking in same chapter as the "Don’t call men ‘fathers’ verse] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Luke 6:23
[Christ speaking] Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
 
Jesus said not to call any man Father, this means the priests or any false believer.
 
MaryIrene said:
Jesus said not to call any man Father, this means the priests or any false believer.
Click to expand...
MaryIrene,

If I have understood correctly, It is indeed acceptable to call Catholic priests by the title “Father”.
 
Too many bible references but what does it mean in lamens term? I’m still not clear on this! Is it proper to address priests as “Father”? Help.
 
Dear friend,

I got the courage to ordained priests father by reading an early Christian Document. These
Documents are called / are known as Apocrapher by Catholic 's. You can find other early Gospels and so on, (non- Canon) online - see Early Christian texts.com. XX

(I think).

Merry Christmas! XX
 
chalitos said:
Too many bible references but what does it mean in lamens term? I’m still not clear on this! Is it proper to address priests as “Father”? Help.
Click to expand...
I resource I use:
Call no one Father?

Yes, it is perfectly fine to call a priest “Father”.

Jesus is warning about earthly pride. Jesus uses the term “father” favorably in other contexts, as do the apostles.

All fatherhood, properly understood, derives from the perfect fatherhood of God. It is when we think we have “fathered” something on our own, independent of God, that we get into trouble.
 
Paul refered to himself often as a spiritual father.
Jesus used the term Father in describing Abraham in a parable.
Steven talking before the Jewish elders began by saying, “Brothers and Fathers”

Just a few ideas.
 
Jesus is saying we are not to put anyone above God.

We can call our biological male parent “father” or “dad”, there is nothing wrong with that. We can call the priest “father” too.

… However, we are never to use the word “father” in a way that puts someone above God. God is our heavenly father - nobody else can have that title.
 
It is perfectly fine to call ordained priests “Father”. It all boils down to whether we should read Matt 23:9 literally. Is Jesus really asking us never to call anyone but God the Father by this title? Jesus, Himself, breaks this “requirement” in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16:24 when he describes the rich man in torment calling out, “Father Abraham, have pity on me.” If Jesus had a literal “requirement” never to call anyone else father, He would never have called Abraham “father”, would He?

Also, what are we to make of the commandment to honor our father and mother? It is possible to make a lengthy word study of “father” and it’s various uses in the bible which makes it clear that Jesus was not speaking literally in Matt 23:9.

I recall an apologist’s explanation of this verse where he spoke of the unique authority of God the Father and how His unique Fatherhood supercedes any other authority in our lives. This is what Jesus is referring to when He says to call no one else father instead of our Father in heaven. God the Father is always the highest authority in our lives, and our choices should reflect this authority.
 
MaryIrene said:
Jesus said not to call any man Father, this means the priests or any false believer.
Click to expand...
From post 6…

Mark 11:9-10
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

So…question for you…here you have the jews welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday…and note what they are shouting…"…father David…"

And this is within earshot of Jesus…and so, why is Jesus not stopping the Jews from calling David…“father”?
 
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