Calling Priest Father:
This traditional Catholic practice makes many ‘Protestants’ hair stand on end. They believe that Catholics, who call priests “father,” blatantly violate Christ’s prohibition in Scripture, “Call no man ‘father’” (cf. Matthew 23:9). In my book Where Is that in the Bible? I provide you with many biblical citations Catholics can use to demonstrate that this Catholic practice is not a violation of the Lord’s command; rather, we can summarize those biblical evidences this way: Christ’s intention was to steer us away from looking to any human being as if he was our father in the way only God is our Father. His intention was not to prohibit us from literally referring to priests as “father” and we can prove that by the fact that, while under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. Stephen publically addressed the Jewish leaders as “my brothers and fathers” (cf. Acts 7:2). St. Paul also added that “though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became you father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me” (1 Corinthians 4:15-16, SCV).
The understanding of that Gospel passage was clear in the early Church. The custom of calling bishops and priests “father” arose very early. Even the custom of calling the bishop of Rome “pope” derives from the affectionate Latin work of “father”: papa.
Taken from the book: Why is That in Tradition by Patrick Madrid
| Biblical References: |
- Mat. 23:1-12
- Acts 7:2
- Acts 7:38-39
- Acts 7:44-45
- Acts 21:40
- Acts 22:1
- Rom 4: 16-17
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- 1 Cor. 4:14-15
- 1 Thess 2:11
- 1 Tim 1:2
- Titus 1:4
- Philem 1:10
- 1 Jn 2:13-14
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