| Howard Brazee 2008-02-19, 6:58 pm |
| On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:50:34 -0600, "HeyBub" <heybub@gmail.com> wrote:
>There are other possibilities for "father" besides biological and spritual.
>
>Honorific comes to mind, similar to "M'lord."
That doesn't mean father - I wonder if there are churches that
proscribe calling people "Lord".
>Also recognition of position, as in "Doctor" or "Reverend."
>
>Courtesy or convention as in "Sir," or "Madam."
>
>Recognition of rank as in "Yes, captain."
None of those are "father".
>As a complete outsider, it seems to me the complaint by non-Catholics over
>the Church's use of "Father" (but not Monsignor or Bishop or Cardinal) is a
>soufflé issue - all puff and no substance.
>
>As a non-Catholic, when I encounter a Roman Catholic priest, I address him
>as "Reverend" or "Padre." I think this helps him deduce I'm not a member of
>the tribe (wait, that's a Jewish shorthand...).
Padre is Spanish for Father. So the San Diego (Saint James)
baseball team is the "Fathers".
|