Call me Tu (You), not Excellency! Bye bye imperial or heavenly titles

Can Pope Command with Compelling Example? – james kottoor    

Call me Tu (You), not Excellency! Can Pope Command with Compelling Example?
Can compelling example become substitute for commanding orders? By saying “I am a Sinner” is not the Pope telling the world to stop calling him “Your Holiness” and church dignitaries not to be addressed with imperial or heavenly titles? When he opted for small cars he also asked clerics to do so. When is the church going to say Goodbye to unholy, scandalous and blasphemous ‘do’s and ‘don’ts in the Church?290250_235977559773812_6983603_o

Words move, examples draw. Hence also the saying: Like the ruler, so the ruled; like the pastor, so the flock. Authority is not for lording it over, but to serve, according to Jesus who washed the feet even of a betraying Judas, denying Peter and doubting Thomas. He has also asked his followers to follow his example.

Like St. Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is trying to be Jesus-like in word and deed. So what does he really mean when he says: “I am a sinner”, not once but twice in the same breath? What compelling message does he transmit to his fellow bishops and to the whole world? In popular parlance Popes are addressed: “Your Holiness” and referred to as “His Holiness”. By describing himself: “I am a Sinner” is not Francis totally rubbishing that title and rejecting the present practice? Is he not just telling the whole world to kindly stop calling him “Your Holiness” forthwith?

In fact in my previous writings I myself have been accusingly critical of the present practice on rational grounds and equated “Your Holiness” with “blasphemy pure and simple since God alone deserves such references, not any creature.” I have no way of knowing if my observations ever reached papal ears and if he was responding to my comments by calling himself “a sinner” which could be his way of saying: “I’m sorry for the present practice approved and accepted by previous Popes”.

In fact I had gone one step further saying that Church officials starting from the top should be called “Mr. Pope, Mr. Cardinal, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Priest etc” even as Barak Obama, the most powerful ruler in the world, is called “Mr. President”, to highlight equality of all humans irrespective of the office one holds for the time being. Even Francis had said that inequality in the Church is the cardinal sin crying for retribution.

What do you readers think of this practice? If priests and bishops adamantly refuse to give up reverential appellations (Rev. Very Rev. Rt.Rev. Excellecy, Beatitude etc) what is the option left to Church Citizens to get this outlandish and unholy practice stopped forthwith? Recall the observation in the last Extraordinary synod: Church is referred to as: “Holy, Catholic, apostolic” etc, but in practice it is one of “sancti peccatori”,(Holy sinners.” That is the harsh reality.

So you have the answer there. Who is responsible in the first place for the practice in this day of equality and fraternity? It is YOU and ME. They continue to bask in this kind of heavenly appellations because there is no dearth of ignorant, slavish, unthinking, superstitious, gutless people like us to oblige them. There are Generals, only because there is an unquestioning army to obey them. If bishops don’t obey papal orders, why should faithful obey unjust Episcopal orders, ask critics.

Stop addressing them with reverential titles, the existing practice will die down instantly. Obama, world’s most powerful man on earth is addressed as Mr. President. Who among bishops can complain that is infra-dig for them?   jkottoor@asianetindia.com


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Using meaningless imperial titles is still a practice in Christianity. This is an absolutely weird exercise which needs to be abolished from within. The irony is that neither Jesus nor His disciples were addressed with any similar titles, while Bishops and priests are awarded with heavenly honors of different grades. As far as I know, this practice dates back to the times of Emperor Constantine and his 'Gift of Constantine', which was later proved to be a fake document.

I also endorse the view of dr. james and pledge not to use these titles with anybody's name, hereafter. Joseph Mattappally (Asso. editor, CCV) jmattappally@icloud.com
 
 
zac 1Mr and its modern plural form Misters, (its usual formal abbreviation being Messrs(.) derive from the French title mon sieur, "my lord". Messrs is Messieurs shortened – the plural of monsieur, formed by declining both of its constituent parts separately. Historically, mister — like Sir or my lord — was applied only to those above one's own status in the peerage. This understanding is now obsolete, as it was gradually expanded as a mark of respect to those of equal status and then to all gentlemen. It is now used indiscriminately. Mr is sometimes combined with certain titles (Mr President, Mr Speaker, Mr Justice, Mr Dean, Mr Pope). The feminine equivalent is Madam. All of these except Mr Justice are used in direct address and without the name. Mister, usually written in its abbreviated form Mr. (US) or Mr (US & UK), is a commonly-used English honorific for men. The title derived from earlier forms of master, as the equivalent female titles Mrs, Miss, and Ms all derived from earlier forms of mistress. Master is sometimes still used as an honorific for boys and young men, but its use is increasingly uncommon.
As Mr is in itself a sign of respect, exaggerated respect, as it originated at the feudalistic time, it is idiotic to replace it with your eminence, your excellency, your beatitude, let alone holiness. Why our prelates can't think of leaving out these monstrous exaggerations is not to grasp. Addressing a bishop 'Pithavu' (meaning most respected father) is in itself ridiculous. Some bishops, even younger ones, have no shame to sign a letter 'your pithavu', which shows an eccentricity of character. 
There had been long and ardent discussions in the past at KCRM's meetings and in the Malayalam blog 'www.almayasabdam.blogspot.com' about discarding such idiotic practices from the layman's side. We can't expect our bishops to come forward on their own declaring that they are willing to discard these titles. They could have easily followed the example of Pope Francis. Now it is our turn to stop this nonsense and start addressing the bishops with just a Mr. (Zach Nedunkanal – asso. editor, CCV) znperingulam@gmail.com

 

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1 Response

  1. almayasabdam says:

    Kindly visit
    http://almayasabdam.blogspot.ch/2015/08/blog-post_92.html
    to read an article on the same topic in Malayalam, titled
    'ഹിസ്‌ പരിശുദ്ധി'!

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