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How Do I Address A Bishop If I Meet One?


chrysostom

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Your grace is typically for Britain, but also used in some dioceses of Canada; I don't think it is of common usage in the US.

It is among Byzantine Catholics. Our Archbishop (that is, His Excellency WILLIAM (Skurla), Archbishop of Pittsburgh and Metropolitan of the United States) is Excellency and the other bishops are Graces.

 

In England "Your grace" is for Archbishop and "My lord" is usual for Bishop. Fewer and fewer Bishops, it seems to me, want you to kiss the ring and even make it difficult for one to do so.

Well, could be worse for them: they could be Eastern. We just have to hit the hand, which is easier than the ring.

 

so how come as catholics we do not slobber all over a priests ring and bow or curtsy or call the priest some other fancy title to honor his role as priest.

 

But gimme some time as I am still flipping through my bible and catechism to find out where and why it is right and more over expected to go above and beyond a normal greeting. 

I do (the hand, that is, not the ring #ImaByzCat), but only when a blessing is given or something. One priest I know kind of finds it awkward, I think. Another is probably used to it by now, whatever his personal thoughts on it. Especially given that his mom does it. To him.

Edited by Byzantine
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Nihil Obstat

A mark of a truly humble priest is that he can accept those customs which strike him as awkward or uncomfortable, because he knows it is not him being honoured, per se, but rather his office, his authority, and by extension God Himself who instituted those things.

Edited by Nihil Obstat
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truthfinder

It's also customary when receiving a blessing from a newly ordained priest. In fact you kiss the palm of his hands.

True enough - although the OF priests who I've received first blessing from didn't exactly default to this -the one new priest I literally grabbed his hand (he doesn't like physical contact at all). I guess this would be absolutely expected in the EF. Question then: when we generally kiss priests hands in the rituals it seems more to be the 'outside' of the fingers, yet in first blessings it's the palms?

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I will have to find where, but there was a picture of someone who shook hands with a Patriarch. He just smiled and took his hand and shook back xD 

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