A question for fellow for Catholics?

Question

I am a Roman Catholic since birth but am still having issues with why Priests are called "Father", when it clearly says in the Bible

Mt 23:9 "And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your father, `even' he who is in heaven."

Please do not say it is because they are God's representatives on Earth, because he could have easily mentioned this exception- but did not!
Answers greatly appreciated.

Yes, I am really Catholic (since birth/baptism) - no I am not CJ (or anyone else) is disguise.
My main concern with many of the answers is, if it was a warning against the Pharisees - and not to give that authority to anyone but God, why not equate modern day priests with the Pharisees. Certainly many of the scandals in the Church would support doing so!

Answer 1

Matthew 23:6-9 reads, "They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven."

Are we also not to call anyone "teacher" or "doctor" which is how "rabbi' would translate? I think not.

This is call for humility for those in leadership roles. Not to be taken literally.

We are not to deny our male parent and cut the Commandment to honor our father and mother in half.

Some leaders in any church may fall into the same folly of a lack of humility as the pharisees of Jesus' day.

The Apostle Paul writes:

I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (1 Corinthians 4:14-15)

And:

As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you conduct yourselves as worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

And:

I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, who was once useless to you but is now useful to (both) you and me. (Philemon 10-11)

And finally, Peter calls himself the "father" of Mark:

The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. (1 Peter 5:13)

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

In Matthew 23:9 Jesus says, “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” Many people interpret this to mean, “Do not call a priest “father,” and do not call your dad “father.” Some who hold this opinion go further and believe that calling a priest “father” is a sin because it directly violates a command from Jesus. Many Protestants make this a common objection against Catholicism.

If we believe these opinions, then what are we to make of the Scriptures that contradict this one? For example, in Mark 7:9-13, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for not honoring their “fathers.” Furthermore, calling the apostles and their successors “father” was common within the early Christian communities (1 Cor. 4:15, 1 Jn. 2:12, Acts 7:2, 22:1). As in the case of all scriptural interpretations, we must understand this passage in light of the rest of Scripture (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20; 3:16). This interpretative principle is called the “analogy of faith” [Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechism), no. 114].

Answer 3

The Catholic Study Bible (New American Version) offers this in the footnotes on that section.

Matt 23:8-12 These verses, warning against the use of various titles, are addressed to the disciples alone. While only the title 'Rabbi' has been said to be used in addressing the scribes and Pharisees (7), the implication is that Father and 'Master' also were. The prohibition of these titles to the disciples suggests that their use was present in Matthew's church. The Matthean Jesus forbids not only the titles but the spirit of superiority and pride that is shown by their acceptance. "Whoever exalts...will be exalted: cf Lk 14,11."

Yours in Christ Jesus

Answer 4

The problem you are having is one of language. In the ORIGINAL language of the Bible, there were different words that translated as 'father' ... and after MANY translations into many different languages, the different translations all got translated to the one word, father. We translate the word to 'Pope' in English, but in Italian it is 'Papa' ... very much like the affectionate word for father we use, for our own father or our grandfathers. I can't read Aramaic nor Ancient Greek, but I know that the translators were just human, and were doing the best job they could when they were doing the translations.
There is another aspect to this ... when you speak or think of a priest as 'Father' don't you FEEL DIFFERENT than when you speak or think of God as the 'Father/Creator of us all?'
Yes, this 'language problem' is a difficult and tricky slope as we are on our 'path' to Heaven ... but if you sit and 'contemplate' the problem, perhaps you can find the 'difference' between the Father you talk to after Mass or when you are in need and the Great Father God in Heaven.

Answer 5

I will attempt to answer your question. I am a Sponsor for the Rite of Christian Initiation for the Catholic Church. This is my personal understanding but I will ask and get a definitive answer for you and post...

My personal belief has to do with the aposolitic sucession. By that I mean that at the last supper when Jesus layed his hands on Peter giving him the power to turn the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the power to forgive sins on GOD's behalf and to go out and spread the Good News. Every Catholic Priest that has been ordained since that time is able to trace the laying on of hands back to Peter when Jesus Layed His hands on him. Therefore for me by calling a Priest Father, I am referring to the respect and belief that I have in the fact that the Priest is acting on behalf of our GOD and is a sign of respect.

I hope this helps you. and GOD Bless...

Answer 6

Look carefully. He is saying that we have only one father in heaven. So don't refer to anyone else as your father "in heaven". You can call them father, as in someone that guides and mentors you, but don't make that person like the real father in heaven. See the difference. A priest, though called father, is not a substitute for God.

Answer 7

Firstly, we call priests "father" because they have become spiritual fathers to us, just like your earthly father is to you. They can't have children, so in a sense we become their children. They are to care for us and be as concerned for us as much as a father would and should.

Your answer:
"a careful examination of the context of Matthew 23 shows that Jesus didn’t intend for his words here to be understood literally. The whole passage reads, "But you are not to be called ‘rabbi,’ for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called ‘masters,’ for you have one master, the Christ" (Matt. 23:8–10).

Jesus criticized Jewish leaders who love "the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called ‘rabbi’ by men" (Matt. 23:6–7). His admonition here is a response to the Pharisees’ proud hearts and their grasping after marks of status and prestige.

He was using hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) to show the scribes and Pharisees how sinful and proud they were for not looking humbly to God as the source of all authority and fatherhood and teaching, and instead setting themselves up as the ultimate authorities, father figures, and teachers.

Christ used hyperbole often, for example when he declared, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:29, cf. 18:9; Mark 9:47). Christ certainly did not intend this to be applied literally, for otherwise all Christians would be blind amputees! (cf. 1 John 1:8; 1 Tim. 1:15). We are all subject to "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16).

Since Jesus is demonstrably using hyperbole when he says not to call anyone our father—else we would not be able to refer to our earthly fathers as such—we must read his words carefully and with sensitivity to the presence of hyperbole if we wish to understand what he is saying.

Jesus is not forbidding us to call men "fathers" who actually are such—either literally or spiritually. (See below on the apostolic example of spiritual fatherhood.) To refer to such people as fathers is only to acknowledge the truth, and Jesus is not against that. He is warning people against inaccurately attributing fatherhood—or a particular kind or degree of fatherhood—to those who do not have it."

Answer 8

It could be for respect. If you have a older friend that has took care of you since you were little and gave you all of her support and loved you would you not think that she is something like your mother.

Answer 9

The Bible your refering to is the symbolic teachings of events.

The symbolism intended was about not holding another as "high" as Jesus would hold his father, God.

To often the symbolism is lost within the Bible and we have a devil with horns and a pitchfork because of that.

Read in symbolism and there is much truth to see. Read in literal temrs and there is much confusion.

Answer 10

Several places describe the spiritual Father as Father---like St. Paul when he tells someone "today I have become your Father"--- think about this term when you think about the priest in relation to the Body of Christ---Is the priest outside the body of Christ?---no he is even more of an ordained representative---I and the Father are one Jesus said---

CJ is having a problem today. He missed the short bus so he is a little miffed.