yCIN - Ask Father Mateo, Calling priests "Father"
Ask Father Mateo
Msg Base: AREA 5 - ASK FATHER CIN ECHO AMDG
Msg No: 157. Wed 10-16-91 18:03 (NO KILL) (MAILED)
From: Father Mateo
To: David Jeffers
Subject: Calling priests "Father"
³ Why...
³ "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who
³ is in heaven." Matthew 23:9
³ please,
³ humility,
³ david
³
³ .ORIGIN: 010/016 - -[ The Louisville Catholic ]- - 502-449-2228 24 hours
Dear David,
You quote a bible verse, but you ask no question. I only surmise that
you wish to inquire why Catholics call their priests "Father".
Catholic Faith teaches that God is our Creator and Lord by nature, but
of His own free will He has chosen to adopt us as His children. Hence
we are His children by adoption and so we call Him "Father".
Matthew 23:9 reads: "And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you
have on Father and he is in heaven" (New International Version). This
is a verse which some readers take to mean that we are forbidden to
call ANY man on earth 'father', even our own biological fathers. Does
it mean this?
Genesis 1:26-27 teaches us that God made us human beings in His own
image and likeness. He is the "original" of any power or goodness we
may have. We are only faint copies of that perfect Original. Human
fatherhood itself is derived from God's fatherhood (Eph. 3:15).
Now we must ask if Matthew 23:9 is an absolute prohibition, or does
Scripture itself call human beings fathers? If it does, then we are
right to conclude that Matthew 23:9 is saying that God alone is indeed
fully and prototypically our Father, where as human fathers are fathers
indeed, but only as images and likenesses of God the Father.
Calling priests and prophets "Fathers" is Bible language. St. Paul
says he is the FAther of his Christians (1st Thess. 2:10-11). The Book
of Acts calls Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David fathers (Acts 4:25, 7:2,
8, 14). Paul says that Timothy is his son, and he (Paul) is Timothy's
father. Hebrews 12:9-10 calls human beings fathers.
Most Christians (the overwhelming majority, in fact) call their priests
"Father": Monophysites, Nestorians, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, and
Catholics. Nineteenth-century American Protestants sometimes used the
title "Father" of certain ministers they held in high regard. Hence, I
believe the biblical principle here applies: "If anyone wishes to be
contentious about this, we have no other practice - nor do the churches
of God" (1st Cor. 11:16)
Every priest is called and ordained in Christ to say, "In Christ Jesus
I become your father through the gospel" (1st Cor. 4:15)
Taking, Matt. 23:9 literally, as if Scripture offered no other
testimony on the subject, is as wrong as taking Our Lord's words
literally about hating our fathers and mothers (Luke 14:26) This
literal way of reading the Bible, along with private interpretation,
produces error and confusion. It is a travesty on God's Holy Word.
Sincerely in Christ
Father Mateo