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Using Personal Titles: Using Personal Titles #9: Roman Catholic Religious Titles

Dennis Oliver

Using Personal Titles #9:
Roman Catholic ReligiousTitles

 

There are many different religious offices in the Roman
Catholic Church and each has its own title. Different titles
are used for the Pope and for cardinals, archbishops,
bishops, monsignors, priests, deacons, superiors
of religious orders, monks, and nuns:

In speaking,

for . . . use this title:
the Pope Your Holiness
cardinals Your Eminence
archbishops Your Excellency
bishops Your Excellency
monsignors Monsignor
priests Father
deacons Deacon
superiors
(men)		 Father
superiors
(women)		 Mother
monks Brother (Name)
nuns Sister (Name)

In writing a letter,

for . . . use this address:
the Pope His Holiness (religious name)
address
or
His Holiness the Pope
address
cardinals His Eminence (Name),
Archbishop of _____
address
archbishops The Most Reverend (Name),
Archbishop of _____
address
bishops The Most Reverend (Name),
Bishop of _____
address
monsignors The Right Reverend
Monsignor (Name),
address
priests Reverend Father (Name)
address
deacons Rev. Deacon (Name)
address
superiors
(men)		 Fr. (Name), Superior
address
superiors
(women)		 Mother (Name), Superior
address
monks Brother (Name)
address
nuns Sister (Name)
address

In writing a letter,

for . . . use this greeting:
the Pope Your Holiness:
or
Most Holy Father:
&nbs p;
cardinals Your Eminence:
&n bsp;
archbishops Your Excellency:
bishops Most Reverend Sir:
or
Dear Bishop ( surname):
monsignors Dear Reverend Monsignor:
or
Dear Monsignor (surname):
& nbsp;
priests Reverend Father:
or
Dear Fr. (surname):
& nbsp;
deacons Rev. Deacon:
or
Dear Deacon (surname):
& nbsp;
superiors
(men)		 Rev. Father Superior:
or
Dear Fr. (religious name):
  ;
superiors
(women)		 Rev. Mother Superior:
or
Dear Mother (religious name):
monks (men) Dear Brother (religious name):
  ;
nuns (women) Dear Sister (religious name):

_________________________________________

 

Special Notes:

1.

In the past, superiors and members of religious
communities (monks and nuns) were often
oknown only by their religious names. Now,
however, it is more common to use the religious
name and the actual surname:

in the past:

Brother Thomas

now:

Brother Thomas Jones
2.

Written addresses for superiors and members
of religious communities often include the
initials of their religious order (for example,
O.S.B. for Order of St. Benedict). If you
use these initials, write a comma after the name
and then write the initials:

Brother Thomas Jones, O.S.B.
3. Other Christian groups often have different
offices, and even if the name of the office is
the same, the title might be different. Some
of these titles will be in later Hints.
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