Why do people say “father” when not actually addressing a priest?

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I think people do the same here for “teacher” and “Sister”.
 
I suppose just imagine saying ‘let’s see what Dad says’ and then it’s not so weird.
 
Agree with the poster that says that as he’s there for the community and represents Christ in the confessional referring to him objectively as Father is appropriate in this sense
 
sure, if we’re referring to a specific priest. Otherwise it’s just bad English.

I keep thinking you’d never say “go to the police station and report the crime to Officer.” You might say “report to AN officer” or you might say “report to Officer Smith.” But just saying “talk to Officer” is just stilted and weird.
 
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Every American Catholic relative I have, and many other Catholics I know, have called the priest “Father” as you said, “You better go down to the church and talk to Father”. Or, “I have to run over to the rectory and pick up the envelope from Father”. Or “The Father down at your local parish will know.” We even had a family joke about a lady telling my mother she was “laundering Father’s shirts”.

I would note that many of these people were Irish-American so it may be more of an Irish thing. Like “Himself” and “Herself”, etc.

I say it all the time myself, too.

What would you say instead? “Reverend”? To me that always sounds like some Anglican.
 
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Mid-Atlantic. I’ve heard people from the same parish do it when it’s understood which priest they’re talking about, just not as a catch all for any priest.
 
I tend to think as the person said above, it may have come from the British Isles, and it would have propagated through every parish where there were a lot of old Irish ladies.
 
Yeah, but if we were in conversation and you said “talk to Mom” it’s probably because we’re siblings. Bare minimum, it implies we both know which specific woman we’re referring to, not just “talk to any woman who has had kids.”

And just to clarify, I’m not mad about this or anything. Just strikes me as awkward phrasing. Clearly I’m in the minority, though. 😛
 
I like hearing Father used this way. To me, it evokes feelings of family and familiarity. Every priest we see or hear is our spiritual father, and it doesn’t matter if we know their name or not.

To use the title like this makes me feel closely connected to the priests as a family. Always saying “the priest” is more formal. Saying “speak to Father” is more casual and evokes that comfortable feeling.

We know that if we run to any parish, we will find a Father who can help us.
 
Faith an’ begorrah, an’ may Holy St. Patrick help me, if it weren’t for this…this Internet between us, I’d lower the boom on ye, I would. ☘️😁
 
Also, there are likely to be several police officers in a police office, more likely to only have one priest at the parish office.
 
I grew up in an atheist household in England. Even in that environment, I am quite used to hearing Catholics and some high Anglicans use the word in that manner. Doesn’t sound odd to me at all.

But then England’s a weird old place for quirky colloquial usage. I met a woman some months ago who said approvingly that a certain man was a “Bostin’ Priest”. I knew exactly what she meant, but I bet many of you won’t. 😂
 
I was thinking this is a little like the difference between being taken to a hospital, taken to the hospital, or at the British say, taken to hospital.
 
If I were to see a very young child on their own with no parent nearby I wouldn’t say ‘where is your mother/father/parents’, I’d say ‘where’s Mum/Dad’ (not being American)

‘Father’ is more than a job title and also more than a term of affection, and ‘ask Father’ seems perfectly acceptable to me as a way of saying ‘ask a priest’.
 
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