Ecclesiastical titles and styles


Ecclesiastical titles are the formal styles of address used for members of the clergy.

Catholic Church

  • Pope: Pope ; His Holiness; Your Holiness; Holy Father.

    Latin Church clergy

  • Patriarch of an autonomous/particular church: Patriarch ; His Beatitude; Your Beatitude.
  • Cardinal: Cardinal ; His Eminence; Your Eminence.
  • Cardinal who is also an archbishop: Cardinal, Archbishop of ; His Eminence; Your Eminence.
  • Archbishop: The Most Reverend,, Archbishop of ; bishops in the U.S. commonly indicate their terminal degree as postnominals, e.g., J.C.D. or S.T.D., or Ph.D. or D.D.; His Excellency; Your Excellency. Titular archbishops almost never indicate their respective sees in their titles.
  • Bishop: The Most Reverend,, Bishop of ;'' Pontiff of ; The term Pontiff is most often used in relation to the Pontiff of Rome, however it can be used to refer to any bishop; Bishops in the U.S. commonly indicate their terminal degree as postnominals, e.g., J.C.D., S.T.D., or Ph.D. or D.D.; His Excellency; Your Excellency. Titular bishops almost never indicate their respective sees in their titles.
  • Abbot: The Right Reverend, ; The Right Reverend Abbot; Abbot ; Abbot ; Dom ; Father . The custom for address depends on personal custom and custom in the abbey.
  • Abbess, Prioress, or other superior of a religious order of women or a province thereof: The Reverend Mother, ; Mother . The title of women religious superiors varies greatly, and the custom of a specific order should be noted.
  • Protonotary Apostolic, Honorary Prelate, or Chaplain of His Holiness: The Reverend Monsignor ; Monsignor . The postnominals P.A. are often added for protonotaries apostolic. Postnominals are rarely added for honorary prelates or chaplains of His Holiness.
  • Vicar General: The Very Reverend, V.G.; The Reverend, V.G.; Father .
  • Judicial Vicar, Ecclesiastical Judge, Episcopal Vicar, Vicar Forane, Dean, Provincial Superior, or Rector: The Very Reverend ; Father .
  • Prior, both superiors of or in monasteries, or of provinces or houses of a religious order: The Very Reverend , ; Father .
  • Pastor of a parish, Parochial Vicar, Chaplain, or Priest: The Reverend ; Father .
  • Permanent Deacon: Reverend Mr. "; "The Reverend Deacon ; Deacon ; Deacon .
  • Transitional Deacon, i.e., a deacon who is studying for the priesthood: The Reverend Deacon. ; Deacon ; Deacon .
  • Brother: Brother, ; Brother . In some teaching orders Brother is customary.
  • Religious sister or nun: Sister, ; Sister ; Sister .
  • Candidate for priestly ministry : The Reverend Seminarian ; Mr. ; Mr. .
  • Candidate for diaconal or lay ministry : Mr. ; Mr. ''.

    United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries

The major difference between U.S. practice and that in several other English-speaking countries is the form of address for archbishops and bishops. In Britain and countries whose Catholic usage it directly influenced:
  • Archbishop: the Most Reverend ; addressed as Your Grace rather than His Excellency or Your Excellency.
  • Bishop: "the Right Reverend" ; formally addressed as My Lord rather than Your Excellency. This style is an ancient one, and has been used in the western church for more than a thousand years; it corresponds to, but does not derive from, the Italian Monsignore and the French Monseigneur.
In Ireland, and in other countries whose Catholic usage it influenced, all bishops, not archbishops alone, are titled the Most Reverend.
Clergy are often referred to with the title Doctor, or have D.D. placed after their name, where justified by their possession of such degree.

Italy

  • Diocesan priest: The Reverend Lord ; Don.
  • Religious priest: Padre; Father.
  • Religious sister: The Reverend Sister.
  • Deacon: Deacon.

    The Philippines

In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, ecclesiastical addresses are adapted from American custom but with modifications. The titles listed below are only used in the most formal occasions by media or official correspondence, save for the simpler forms of address. Post-nominals that indicate academic degree or membership in a religious order are usually included.
  • The Pope is always titled "Ang Kanyáng Kabanalan". As such, the late Pope was styled "Ang Kanyáng Kabanalan Papa Francisco".
  • A cardinal is formally styled and addressed as "Ang Kanyáng Kabunyian", literally denoting "His Illustriousness". Cardinals are informally addressed as "Cardinal" followed by their names; for example, "Cardinal Juan". Unlike in the United States, Ireland or Commonwealth nations, the name of a cardinal is always inscribed in the formula first name, "Cardinal", and last name; for example, "Juan Cardinal de la Cruz", similar to the syntax in German.
  • An archbishop is titled "Ang Mahál na Arsobispo". Archbishops are often addressed as "Archbishop" followed by their names; for example, "Archbishop Juan de la Cruz".
  • A bishop is titled "Ang Mahál na Obispo", in similar fashion to archbishops, and more commonly as "Ang Lubháng Kagalang-galang". Also similar to archbishops, bishops are often addressed as "Bishop" followed by their names; for example, "Bishop Juan de la Cruz".
  • A monsignor is titled "Reberendo Monsenyor", although if he holds extra administrative office he is titled according to his office. Vicars general, forane, and episcopal are titled "Very Reverend". Monsignori are colloquially addressed as "Monsignor". As defined, the inscribed title is "Monsignor" followed by first and then last name, or "The Reverend Monsignor" followed by first and then last name, while the spoken address is "Monsignor" followed by only last name.
  • Priests, both diocesan and those of a religious order, are titled "Reberendo Padre" before their first and then last names. Priests are colloquially addressed as "Father" before either their true name or last name, even their nickname. Reverend Father as a full title is similar to Anglican or Eastern Orthodox usage, in contrast to practice in some other English-speaking nations. However, "The Rev." alone before priests' names is usually found in articles sourced from the United States, like the Associated Press, in Philippine newspapers.
  • A deacon is titled "Reberendo" ; for example, "Reverend Juan de la Cruz". Deacons are rarely titled "Deacon" followed by their names as in the United States, except when addressing them formally. Instead, they are colloquially addressed as "Rev." in contrast to priests who are addressed as "Father".
  • Consecrated persons:
  • * Religious sisters are titled "Sister". Superiors are optionally titled "Mother" and are usually addressed formally as "Reverend Sister/Mother" ; for example, "Rev. Sr. Juana de la Cruz, OP" or "Rev. Mo. Juana de la Cruz, OSB". Contemplative nuns are formally and colloquially titled "Sor", a truncation of "Soror", which is Latin for "Sister". Prioresses and abbesses are formally addressed as "Reverend Mother".
  • * Religious brothers who are not priests are titled "Brother" ; for example, "Br. Juan de la Cruz, OFM". Having been influenced by the Spaniards, members of mendicant orders may be called "Fray"; for example, "Fray Juan de la Cruz, OSA". Since there are also mendicant orders whose missionaries are from Italy they opt to be addressed as "Fra", a truncation of "Frater", which is Latin for "Brother". Monks are called "'Dom'", an abbreviation of "Dominus" which means "Lord".

    Eastern Catholic clergy

Although the styles and titles of Eastern Catholic clergy varies from language to language, in the Greek and Arabic-speaking world the following would be acceptable, but is by no means a full list of appropriate titles. It is notable that surnames are never used except in extra-ecclesial matters or to specify a particular person where many share one Christian name or ordination name. Where not noted, Western titles may be supposed. The following are common in Greek Melkite Catholic usage and in Greek Orthodox usage in the United States.
  • Archbishop or Bishop: In Arabic, a bishop is titled "Sayedna", while in churches of Syriac tradition he is titled "Mar". If an Eastern Catholic archbishop or patriarch is made a cardinal he may be addressed as "His Eminence" and "Your Eminence", or the hybrid "His Beatitude and Eminence" and "Your Beatitude and Eminence".
  • Priest: In Arabic, "Abouna" and in Greek "Pappas".
  • Deacon: Identical to that of a priest in all ways except sometimes in the use of "Father Deacon".
  • Subdeacon: "Reverend Subdeacon" in inscribed address, and the Christian name with or without "Brother" is usually used, except in some traditions that use "Father Subdeacon". In Arabic, this is confused by "Shammas" being used for both the subdiaconate and the diaconate, the distinction being a "Deacon of the Letter" and a "Deacon of the Gospel" respectively. Often a deacon will be addressed as "Father" and a subdeacon as "Brother" to distinguish them.
  • Reader: "Reader" or "Brother" depending on the preference of the addresser.
  • Seminarians: "Brother" and "Brother Seminarian" are the most common titles; the appellations "Father Seminarian" and "Father Student" are used only by rural Greek- and Arabic-speaking laity.
  • Tonsured persons without a title: "Brother".