What to call the Bishop

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ElizaE

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When addressing the Bishop in a letter do you call him Most Reverent Bishop Smith or what do you write?

Thanks for the help
 
Try this, compliments of www.wikihow.com:
  • Address Bishops verbally as “Bishop LastName.” It is optional to add his last name. If you say the Bishop’s last name, do so only once. After that, simply address him as “Bishop.” Address letters to “The Most Reverend Full Name, D.D.”, then add any other doctoral degrees, if he has any. In conversation, a bishop may be addressed “Bishop” without name. It is preferable to use no name than to call the Bishop by his first name. Simply address him as “Bishop.”
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  • Address Cardinals verbally as “Cardinal LastName” or “Your Eminence” without Name. If you address the Cardinal as “Cardinal LastName” do so only once. After that, address him as “Your Eminence.” Address letters to “His Eminence, The Most Reverend FirstName Cardinal LastName.” If the Cardinal is a Bishop, add “D.D.” and any other doctoral degrees he may have, after his last name.
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Sof if I am writing an invitation to a Mass than I would write…

The Mass will be officiated by the Most Reverent Bishop John Smith and Father Sam Jones.

Does this sound ok or should I add Reverent in front of Father?
 
demerzel85 said:
Actually ‘Your Grace’ would be sufficient 🙂
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Not used in the USA - but somewhat common in Britain, etc.

Do correct me if I’m wrong - I thought “Your Grace” was used for Archbishops not Bishops - Archbishops corresponding to Dukes who use the same term.
 
ElizaE said:
Sof if I am writing an invitation to a Mass than I would write…

The Mass will be officiated by the Most Reverent Bishop John Smith and Father Sam Jones.

Does this sound ok or should I add Reverent in front of Father?
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"Reverend
be sure and watch for typos in any formal letter - on these threads they happen so frequently you don’t want to pick up any bad habits for formal writing.
reverent is, hopefully, how he conducts himself. 😛
 
I was just about to post a thread when I saw this one. What is the proper way to address a bishop in an e-mail? Would it be the same as a letter, or could I simply write Bishop and then his last name? I ask because writing “Your Excellency” feels strange considering that the bishop will likely not be the one to actually read the e-mail. Thanks.
 
Fuerza said:
I was just about to post a thread when I saw this one. What is the proper way to address a bishop in an e-mail? Would it be the same as a letter, or could I simply write Bishop and then his last name? I ask because writing “Your Excellency” feels strange considering that the bishop will likely not be the one to actually read the e-mail. Thanks.
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I always follow the rule that email is the same as a letter, so one should always use the same format when writing a letter.

However, I have always frowned on using email as a form of communication when it is in the nature of being formal. And I cannot view any letter to a bishop being informal, unless he is your brother.

I would caution using email and take the time to write a letter and mail it. I think Mrs. Manners would agree on this one.😉
 
I wrote an e-mail to my Bishop and began it by addressing him as Your Excellency and he wrote me back.
 
ElizaE said:
Sof if I am writing an invitation to a Mass than I would write…

The Mass will be officiated by the Most Reverent Bishop John Smith and Father Sam Jones.

Does this sound ok or should I add Reverent in front of Father?
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Actually, you don’t need "Bishop"and “Father” in this style of address. You could say “The Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend John Smith, Bishop of XXXXX, with the Reverend Sam Jones concelebrating,” if it were a formal invitation.
 
Sof if I am writing an invitation to a Mass than I would write…

The Mass will be officiated by the Most Reverent Bishop John Smith and Father Sam Jones.

Does this sound ok or should I add Reverent in front of Father?
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First, check to see if both Bishop Smith and Father Jones are indeed concelebrating, rather than just one celebrating and the other present. It may be the Father Jones is celebrating the Mass in the presence of Bishop Smith, but Bishop Smith would not himself be a concelebrant.

If both are celebrating, then something like “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be celebrated (or offered) by the Most Reverend John Smith, Bishop of Podunk, with the Reverend (or, for even greater formality, the Reverend Father) Sam Jones concelebrating.”

If Father Jones is celebrating in the presence of the bishop, then “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be celebrated (or offered) by the Reverend Father John Smith (of St. Germinia’s Church, Backwater, if you wish to identify him), with the Most Reverend John Smith, Bishop of Podunk, presiding”
 
I always use Your Excellency when speaking to a Bishop directly.
Most Reverend suffices for a formal letter.
 
For what it’s worth, I wrote an e-mail to my Archbishop using “Your Eminence” and got a reply.
 
I can think of lots of things one might call the bishop, though probably not to his face.
 
DiscerningDave said:
I always follow the rule that email is the same as a letter, so one should always use the same format when writing a letter.

However, I have always frowned on using email as a form of communication when it is in the nature of being formal. And I cannot view any letter to a bishop being informal, unless he is your brother.

I would caution using email and take the time to write a letter and mail it. I think Mrs. Manners would agree on this one.😉
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I know, it does feel rather informal, but e-mail is listed as the preferred method of contact on the diocese website.
 
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