A Priest is called Father?

Question

If your interpretation of the words "call no man on earth father" were taken literally, it would be a repudiation of Christ's teachings, and so a sin, to call Washington the father of our country; Copernicus that father of astronomy; Pasteur the father of the science of bacteriology, or even the head of a family, father. For remember that Christ did not say "call no priest Father on earth." It may interest you to know that it was a priest, an Augustinian named Father Matthew Carr, who first called Washington the Father of our country. That was during a sermon delivered at a memorial Mass in 1799 that was said for the salvation of the soul of Washington. Do you think that priest would have called him father if it took from God the Father any of the honor due to Him? Most decidedly, No!


While a priest by a name other than father might be just as sweet to Catholics, as it is in countries where the priest is called Monsieur, it would not properly designate him. The priest is truely a father. Through him we are reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, changed horn a state of nature to a state of grace, thus becoming adopted sons of God, brothers of Jesus Christ. The priest feeds us with the "super-substantial bread" we pray for in the Our Father, which nourishes our spiritual being. When we fall from grace by sin, he, as ambassador of God, restores us repentant sinners to the friendship of God. He blesses our marriages; and when we are sick unto death, he anoints us, prepares us for either restoration to health or fitness to meet our God. Besides all that, during our life, and after our death, he offers up the Sacrifice of the Altar, and prays for our heavenly wellbeing.

In a word, the priest is truly our spiritual father, an alter Christus, who functions by the will and in the name of Christ. For these reasons we delight to lovingly call him, father, and in so doing we add to instead of take away from our Father who is in heaven that primary honor that is due Him.

Phoenix Safety Net:

Forgot to type "WHY" in the beginning of my question

This question was submitted due to the answers from my last question.

if God has intended that man should learn His religion from a book, the Bible, surely God would have given that book to man. Christ would have given that book to man.

Christ sent His Apostles throughout the whole universe and said, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

One cannot have God for his Father, who will not have the Church for his Mother, and likewise, one cannot have the Word of God for his faith who will not have the Church for his teacher.

Answer 1

Thank you. Well said. Also, consider these from Holy Scripture:

Matt. 23:9 - Jesus says, "call no man father." But Protestants use this verse in an attempt to prove that it is wrong for Catholics to call priests "father." This is an example of "eisegesis" (imposing one's views upon a passage) as opposed to "exegesis" (drawing out the meaning of the passage from its context). In this verse, Jesus was discouraging His followers from elevating the scribes and Pharisees to the titles of “fathers” and “rabbis” because they were hypocrites. Jesus warns us not to elevate anyone to the level of our heavenly Father.

Matt. 23:8 – in this teaching, Jesus also says not to call anyone teacher or rabbi as well. But don’t Protestants call their teachers “teacher?” What about this commandment of Jesus? When Protestants say “call no man father,” they must also argue that we cannot call any man teacher either.

Judges 17:10; 18:19 - priesthood and fatherhood have always been identified together. Fatherhood literally means "communicating one's nature," and just as biological fathers communicate their nature to their children, so do spiritual fathers communicate the nature of God to us, their children, through (hopefully) teaching and example.

Eph. 3:14-15 - every family in heaven and on earth is named from the "Father." We are fathers in the Father.

Acts 7:2; 22:1,1 John 2:13 - elders of the Church are called "fathers." Therefore, we should ask the question, "Why don't Protestants call their pastors "father?"

1 Cor. 4:15 - Paul writes, "I became your father in Christ Jesus."

1 Cor. 4:17 - Paul calls Bishop Timothy a beloved and faithful "child" in the Lord.

2 Cor. 12:14 - Paul describes his role as parent over his "children" the Corinthians.

Phil. 2:22 - Paul calls Timothy's service to him as a son serves a "father."

1 Thess. 2:11- Paul compares the Church elders' ministry to the people like a father with his children.

1 Tim. 1:2,18; 2 Tim. 1:2-3 - Paul calls Timothy his true "child" in the faith and his son.

Titus 1:4 - Paul calls Titus his true "child" in a common faith. Priests are our spiritual fathers in the family of God.

Philemon 10 - Paul says he has become the "father" of Onesimus.

Heb. 12:7,9 - emphasizes our earthly "fathers." But these are not just biological but also spiritual (the priests of the Church).

1 Peter 5:13 - Peter refers to himself as father by calling Mark his "son."

1 John 2:1,13,14 - John calls the elders of the Church "fathers."

1 John 2:1,18,28; 3:18; 5:21; 3 John 4 - John calls members of the Church "children."

1 Macc. 2:65 - Mattathias the priest tells his sons that Simeon will be their "father."

II. The Lord, Mary, the Apostles and Others Refer to Spiritual Leaders as "Fathers"

Matt. 3:9; Luke 3:8 - Jesus refers to Abraham as our "father."

Mark 11:10 - the people cried out blessed is the kingdom of our "father" David that is coming!

Luke 1:32 - God's angel says Jesus will be great and be given the throne of his "father" David.

Luke 1:55 - Mary says that He spoke to our "fathers," to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.

Luke 1:73 - Zechariah says the oath which he swore to our "father" Abraham.

Luke 16:24,30 - Jesus, in His parable about the rich man, says our "father" Abraham.

John 4:12 - the Samaritan woman asks Jesus if He is greater than our "father" Jacob.

John 7:22 - Jesus refers to the "fathers" who gave the Jews the practice of circumcision.

John 8:56 - Jesus tells the Jews your "Father" Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day.

Acts 3:13,25; 5:30 - Peter teaches that the God of our "fathers" glorified His servant Jesus and raised Him to life.

Acts 4:25 - Peter and John pray to God and refer to our "father" David.

Acts 7:11-12, 15,19,38,44-45,51-52 - Stephen refers to our "fathers" in the faith.

Acts 7:32 - Stephen calls God the God of our "fathers."

Acts 13:17,32,36; 24:14; 26:6; 28:17,25 - Paul also refers to the God of our "fathers" in the faith.

Acts 22:3 - Paul says he was educated according to the strict law of our "fathers."

Acts 22:14 - Ananias says the God of our "fathers."

Rom. 4:1 - Paul calls Abraham our "forefather."

Rom. 4:16-17 - Paul says that Abraham is the "father" of us all and the "father" of many nations.

Rom. 9:10 - Paul calls Isaac, a spiritual leader, our "forefather."

1 Cor. 10:1 - Paul says that our "fathers" were all under the cloud, referring to the Old Testament spiritual leaders.

Gal. 1:14 - Paul says that he was zealous for the tradition of his "fathers."

2 Tim. 1:3 - Paul thanks God whom he serves with a clear conscience as did his "fathers" in faith.

Heb. 1:1 - the author says God spoke of old to our "fathers."

Heb. 3:9 - the Holy Spirit says that your "fathers" put me to the test.

Heb. 8:9 - God says not like the covenant that I made with their "fathers."

James 2:21 - James says was not our "father" Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac?

1 Peter 1:18 - Peter says you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your "fathers."

2 Peter 3:4 - Peter says ever since the "fathers" fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning.


III. Other Examples Where Jesus Uses the Word "Father" When Teaching

Matt. 15:4-5; 19:19 - Jesus uses "father" when He teaches God's commandment to "Honor your father and your mother."

Mark 7:10-12; Luke 18:20 - these are more examples of Jesus using "father" when teaching about honoring our fathers and mothers.

Eph. 6:2,4 - Paul also teaches to honor your "father" and mother, and says "fathers," do not provoke your children.

Matt. 10:21; 35,37; Mark 13:12 - Jesus says "father" will deliver up his child in the last days.

Matt. 19:5; Mark 10:7,19 - Jesus says a man shall leave his "father" and mother and be joined to his wife. See also Eph. 5:31.

Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:29-30 - Jesus says whoever has left mother or "father" for His sake shall receive a hundredfold.

Matt. 21:31 - Jesus uses "father" when he teaches about the parable of the two sons and asks, "who did the will of his "father?"

Luke 6:23,26 - Jesus speaks about reward and punishment with reference to what their "fathers" did to the prophets.

Luke 11:11 - Jesus says what "father" among you will give his child a serpent when he asks for a fish.

Luke 11:47-48 - Jesus tells the lawyers they are witnesses to the deeds of their "fathers."

Luke 14:26 - Jesus says we must leave our "fathers" and mothers and come to him, or we cannot be His disciple.

Luke 15:12,17-18,20-22,27-29 - Jesus repeatedly uses "father" when teaching about the prodigal son.

Luke 16:27 - Jesus uses "father" when teaching about the rich man in purgatory.

John 6:49,58 - Jesus says your "fathers" ate the manna in the wilderness and died.

Answer 2

Priest Father

Answer 3

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Since Christians don't have "priests" but only the Lord Jesus as our High Priest it isn't really an issue. As to a Catholic calling a priest "father" it's just a title. The Apostle Paul used the same title for himself. 1 Corinthians 4:14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Answer 4

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RE:
A Priest is called Father?
If your interpretation of the words "call no man on earth father" were taken literally, it would be a repudiation of Christ's teachings, and so a sin, to call Washington the father of our country; Copernicus that father of astronomy; Pasteur the father of the science of bacteriology,...

Answer 5

If you look at the context of Matt. 23:9, you will see that Jesus was telling his disciples not to call one another "Father" in a RELIGIOUS sense. He did not mean the biological male parent could not be addresses as such.

Catholics and others try to justify calling their priests "father" by pointing to the apostle Paul who identifying himself as a father to the Corinthian congregation. But what they choose to ignore is that Paul was not using that word as a title. He was NEVER addresses as Father Paul. Neither were the other prominent men in the Christian congregation. No matter what kind of spin Catholics try to put on Matt. 23:9, they are still in violation of Jesus' explicit command not to use the word "father" as a religious title.

Answer 6

Jesus brought people back to life. Did he demand to be called Father? No, he said do not, for One is the Father. Father of Chemistry does not have the same meaning. Your analogy is way off course. Jesus is the perfect Christian. I didn't see him wearing tons of gold or wanting people to kiss his ring (that incindentally would feed 100 starving families.) HUMILITY IS WHAT JESUS WANTS! Priests are supposed to be servants to the people, not royalty.

Answer 7

you've got to be kidding!

I will not honor any man on earth by calling him father, except my dad.... a priest is a man appointed man... not God appointed nor christened my father. no man on earth can 'bless' my marriage nor any other part of my life. Only God, the true Father, can do that and I do not stand before any man for my judgement or sanctification.

I give no reverance to earthly men or women.... for they are created by God, and born sinners just like me and you... and all fall short of the Glory of God... even a priest, especially if they give false teachings to the people under them....

Answer 8

That is the difference between human faith and divine faith.

One cannot have God for his Father, who will not have the Church for his Mother, and likewise, one cannot have the Word of God for his faith who will not have the Church for his teacher. It is the infallible teaching authority of the Church, as promised by Christ, which alone preserves God's Word from erroneous interpretation.

Answer 9

Jesus is our High Priest we dont need anyone else

Hebrews 5

Answer 10

You are stretching seriously. Even if George Washington is called the father of the country, I WOULD NOT BE CALLING HIM FATHER!

Answer 11

Sooooo...was there a question?