Thank You St. Paul.

Hi David,

 

Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 23:9, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven."

 

IS JESUS CHRIST WRONG?

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

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Paul was in no way endorsing a capital F Father as a religious title.  He is analogizing his his having begotten his converts through the gospel to the human birth process.  Nowhere in the New Testament will you find "Father", "Reverend" or other such such titles used to identify teachers, preachers, elders, evangelists, etc.  It just is not there.

It's not even mandatory to say it in our church. Honestly, no one in our church has ever elevated the priest to God status.  What's the intent of the heart ?? Is the person saying father and feeling in their heart and mind that this priest is the same or equivalent to God the Father.  Nope.
Jesus also said call no one teacher- if that's to be taken literally - a lot of people have sinned.    Many Protestant church's have bishops. I defiantly don't know why some people (not saying you) but, some people jump on this without really listening to what the catholic is saying. In 40 years as a catholic I never heard someone say, let's call the priest father and elevate him to God status. 
I don't know what CoC calls their preachers???

Hi David,

 

Have YOU ever addressed a priest by any name or title other than "father"?   Have you said to your priest, "Hey, Joe (or whatever his name happens to be), what is your sermon about today?"

 

Have YOU ever addressed a priest as anything other than "father"?  I know that, in my 20 years in the Roman Catholic church -- I never did.

 

If it is not mandatory to call him father -- why haven't you ever called him by his given name?

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

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I have! Now what's your argument?