What salutation to use with the Bishop

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Lizbert

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This may sound dumb but I really couldn’t find any information on this. If I write a letter to the Bishop of our diocese, how should I write the salutation? If I refer to him in the letter how should I address him? Thanks!
 
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Lizbert:
This may sound dumb but I really couldn’t find any information on this. If I write a letter to the Bishop of our diocese, how should I write the salutation? If I refer to him in the letter how should I address him? Thanks!
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Your excellency would do. Ie

Your Excellency,

It is with great…etc

I remain your servant,
your name here.
 
The way some of the bishops are so modern with guitar and dance masses et cetera, perhaps “Hey Dude” would be what those would want. :bigyikes:
  • Kathie :bowdown:
 
From Letitia Baldridge’s Complete Guide to Executive Manners:

Bishop and Archbishop

Addressing envelopes: The Most Reverend Paul Murphy,
Bishop (Archbishop) of Chicago

Letter Salutation: Your Excellency:
or Dear Bishop Murphy:

Speaking to or place card: Excellency/ Bishop Murphy
 
When meeting any ranking official in person I usually fall back on addressing him as “Sir”. [It comes from working around the military for several years.] I’ve never had one take offense.
 
With a plain Bishop, the Traditional salutation is, I believe, Your Lordship. With an Archbishop, it is Your Grace. I have actuall been in the presence of an Archbishop, who was addressed as Your Grace.

Some might argue that the above forms of address are too “European”, but the Europeans brought Catholicism to the US, so I think that we should follow their lead, and not be stubborn and “do our own thing”!
 
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GoLatin:
With a plain Bishop, the Traditional salutation is, I believe, Your Lordship. With an Archbishop, it is Your Grace. I have actuall been in the presence of an Archbishop, who was addressed as Your Grace.

Some might argue that the above forms of address are too “European”, but the Europeans brought Catholicism to the US, so I think that we should follow their lead, and not be stubborn and “do our own thing”!
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That’s the one.

However, I just address our Bp as “Bishop” in a conversation with him. I guess it is our modern times.
 
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GoLatin:
With a plain Bishop, the Traditional salutation is, I believe, Your Lordship. With an Archbishop, it is Your Grace. I have actuall been in the presence of an Archbishop, who was addressed as Your Grace.

Some might argue that the above forms of address are too “European”, but the Europeans brought Catholicism to the US, so I think that we should follow their lead, and not be stubborn and “do our own thing”!
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Are you in England or somewhere in the Commonwealth?
 
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GoLatin:
With a plain Bishop, the Traditional salutation is, I believe, Your Lordship. With an Archbishop, it is Your Grace. I have actuall been in the presence of an Archbishop, who was addressed as Your Grace.

Some might argue that the above forms of address are too “European”, but the Europeans brought Catholicism to the US, so I think that we should follow their lead, and not be stubborn and “do our own thing”!
Click to expand...
It isn’t “too European,” it simply IS European. In England, I think it’s “Your Exc.” and “Your Grace.” Here, it’s “Your Exc.” unless they’ve been elevated to the Cardinalate. We’ve never, that I can recall, addressed our hierarchy otherwise. We don’t call the our head of state “your majesty.” Doesn’t make calling the Queen “your majesty” wrong, we just don’t call our guy that.
 
I have been honoured with being in His Excellency’s prescence twice.

On both occasions I bowed *ubi saluto eum * and I always referred to him as “Your Excellency” or “Excellency”. It is also my understand that he should be referred to as such in the third person. This would include, “Would His Excellency mind…” or “Where is His Excellency at present?”

God Bless you for caring enough and respecting the Successors to the Apostles to ask this.
 
In a letter I use the formal form.

In person, it is a little different.

We had one Bishop who when I attempted to address him formally, stopped me and asked me to please call him Bishop Phil. When I attempted to kiss his ring, he stopped me and gave me a hug. I was told he had a burning desire to live out his ministry as he imagined the Apostles did. I had to respect that. What a high goal.
 
I suspect that the best method would be to address your own bishop as he appears to want to be addressed. Try the more formal first if you have no inclination as to what he wishes. As for a visiting bishop, especially from a foreign courntry, the most formal would be the best. If there are differences, i.e. he is from England where “your Grace” might be common, use that to show your respect for his customs.
  • Kathie :bowdown:
 
When I was finishing up RCIA last year we were told how to behave and what steps to go through at out Confirmation. I asked if I should kiss the Bishop’s ring when I met him, such as when I asked for him to pose for a photo afterwards. And everybody laughed, saying nobody in America kisses Bishops’s rings any more. I was disappointed, frankly.
 
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