Why do priests want people to call them father? Didn't Jesus teach us to pray to our Father in Heaven?

Question

Do they try to put themselves on the same level as God, Who was manifest in the flesh so that He could become the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins?

spiritroaming, you have not mentioned why priests want people to call them father - you've only mentioned why it's okay to have father figures on earth - like someone who runs an orphanage and is loved by the children in the orphanage might want to call him a father to them because they need someone to become their father figure as a role model.

But this is not the same with priests. The expect you to call them father - even if they may be much younger than you.

Christs told his mother on the Cross to behold her son - John - and for John to behold his mother because we are to all be mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters to those who have lost someone or to show respect because of their age. All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour are children of God the Father and brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord.

So why do priests expect people to call them father in the church? We did not lose our Heavenly Father and no one can take His place.

Forgive the typo - I wrote Christs and there is only one Christ!

Can you show me one verse in the Word of God where God tells us to call priests Father? Beware of false teachings.

Hebrews 7
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Answer 1

I think it all started with a dispute over confess ye one to another.
I see this as an order to confess to the person you sinned against, and was later expanded to public confession in the church and then, no we want to do it in private.
All of this adding to the power of the Roman priest and church.

Answer 2

Well, Father is their title. It is a show of respect. Like, "Mother Superior." Not a big deal really. Why call a Pastor, Pastor?

Btw, "they" don't want to have you call them that, it is just the way it is. Could call them Brother. How about Buddie? Or better yet, "Dude?"

Yes, we should try to get this changed right away. They could be "The Catholic Church Dude" or "Dudes."

The "old beat-up on the Catholics deal." Who cares?

Also, btw, I am not Catholic but would always address a Catholic priest as "Father." And a Nun as "Sister." And if I went to your church I would address whoever, by whatever name they are called. Again not a big deal, really.

Answer 3

Many Evangelicals think the Catholic priesthood is not a valid part of God's plan. They point to sayings like "call no man father." Some consider Jesus' condemnation of the hypocrisy among some of the priests of his day as a blanket dismissal of the priesthood. They sometimes unearth the failings of some modern priests as proof of their theory and speak of empty rituals performed according to the "traditions of men." Catholics certainly don't think the priest is God. Catholics believe the priest simply does what Jesus commissioned the apostles to do, which is to serve the Church, that is Christ's body on earth. Doesn't the Bible forbid calling a human being your Father, saying "call no man your father?" Some Evangelicals point to the Scripture passage "Call no man your father?" (Mat 23:9-10) as a reason not to call priests "father." Yet in the same sentence Jesus says "Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah." Using this passage to claim that we cannot call a priest "father" would mean that we could not call professors at an Evangelical Bible college "instructors." If we were to take this passage literally, it would mean that I could not call my earthly dad "father" either. Catholics don't believe Jesus was forbidding the use of "father" in that passage. There are plenty of examples in the Bible where that the word "Father" applies to humans, and the Bible links the priesthood to fatherhood. In Judges 17:10, the Ephraimite Micah asks a transient Levite, "Stay with me; be father and priest to me." Later (Judges 18:19), a Danite war party persuades the same Levite to leave Micah, saying: "Come with us and be our father and priest." Indeed, the Bible finds priesthood and fatherhood inseparably united. St. Paul says he is the father of his Christian converts (1st Thess. 2:10-11). Acts calls Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David fathers (4:25, 7:2, 8, 14). Paul says Timothy is his son, and he (Paul) is Timothy's father (Philip. 2:22). Reading Hebrews 12:9 reminds us of those spankings we used to get from our fathers! 1st John 2:13, 14 twice calls certain members of the congregation fathers. Every Catholic priest is ordained in Christ to say, "In Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel" (1st Cor. 4:15). A priest is sent "to deal with us as a father deals with his children, encouraging, comforting, and urging us to live lives worthy of God" (1st Thess. 2:11-12). Catholics believe the fulcrum of Mat 23:9-10 is "The greatest among you will be your servant." (Mat 23:11) That is the job of the priest, to be a servant. To serve the congregation. Jesus was condemning their hypocrisy, not their office. Catholics don't think Jesus was against priests, he was against hypocritical priests. Jesus was condemning the hypocrisy of unholy men who were in office at the time, he was not condemning their office. I believe that's how God felt 2000 years ago and that is how he feels today. And yes there have always been some bad priests. Judas was the first bad priest in the Christian tradition, but the other disciples were good men. Jesus makes it very clear that he is not condemning the office of scribes and Pharisees'. He was not saying that we should throw out the idea of an organized clergy. He had a great respect for their office. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat; therefore do whatever they teach you and follow it, " (Mat 23:2) So we be live Jesus was saying, honour the office of the priesthood. God honoured the office and gave the high priest the gift of prophesy (Jn 11:51) God instituted the priesthood with the Levites. Jesus was not against the priesthood, he honoured and respected it, and I believe he is inviting us to do the same. God gave the high priest the gift of prophesy (Jn 11:51) Catholic Christian †

Answer 4

I never heard of a Catholic praying to their priest instead of to God. Never ever, not even the uneducated Catholics. It's certainly not more difficult to see the difference between a priest and God than it is to see the difference between your biological father and God.

And besides, I never understood why the picture of a Father taking care of his children would be more oppressive and hierarchical than a Pastor (= shepherd) taking care of his animals.

Answer 5

The Catechism presents the Roman Catholic priest as "another Christ", something which the Bible condemns and forbids. Yet, Jesus talked about the time when "other Christs" would arise.

"The priest is, indeed, another Christ, or in some way, he is himself a continuation of Christ." (Pope Pius XI, Encylical on the Priesthood)

Roman Catholicism does, indeed, teach that the priest functions on earth as another Jesus Christ, as this quote from Pope Pius XI . This revelation is damning, because the Bible forbids us to follow "another Christ"!
Jesus Himself warned us, in Matthew 24, that, at the End of the Age, people would see many instances where "another Christ" would appear, claiming that he is a Christ. Listen.

" Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." [Matthew 24:4-5] Notice that Jesus immediately stated that such claims would be great deception, and would be successful in deceiving "many". Would you consider the Roman Catholic faithful, one billion strong, to constitute "many"? Further, I would consider the many thousands of Roman Catholic priests as "many" christs. Thus, in both sides of this coin, this Roman Catholic teaching qualifies as fulfillment of Jesus' End Times prophecy.

Answer 6

They consider themselves the mediator between the Catholic people and God. That is why the people go to the priest for confession and he is suppose to forgive them for God and bestow grace upon them. The Catholic people do not know that he can not do neither but, they believe their false teachings and doctrines of Catholicism. I'll tell you what is worse than that and it is the fact that they call the Pope holy father which is what Jesus called God in John 17:11.

All of this is the sin of blasphemy against God.

Answer 7

From the early Church we find that clergy were addressed as father. There are those with little knowledge of history or hermeneutical discipline such as understanding Scriptures within context, who believe that the Bible prohibits one from calling a priest father. The words they rely on come directly from Christ:

(Mat 23:9 DRB) And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.

Keeping the verse in context let us look at the verse preceding this verse:

(Mat 23:8 DRB) But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master: and all you are brethren.

Rabbi means teacher and the Latin word for teacher is doctor so anyone using these terms as well are violating the literal interpretation of the text.

Let us look at the verse after verse 9:

(Mat 23:10 DRB) Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ.

There is no way that the interpretation could be correct if one reads and understands the Matthew passage in context. He is clearly teaching that one should not look to any human authority as our teacher, father, master, doctor or other titles of respect but instead give to God those things that are reserved for Him. Do you also refuse to call people doctor, teacher, professor, mister, or master? All of these are forbidden as well if we are to accept a literal understanding.

Context also requires that we investigate what the other Scriptures say as well as the understanding of these words by those who followed Christ. There are many instances where the writers of the New Testament contradict a literal understanding of not calling a man father, teacher or master. Consider the following verses:

(Act 5:34 DRB) But one in the council rising up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, respected by all the people, commanded the men to be put forth a little while.

(Col 4:1 DRB) Masters, do to your servants that which is just and equal: knowing that you also have a master in heaven.

(2Ti 1:11 DRB) Wherein I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles.

Let us examine the statements of St. Stephen to see if he understood Christ to be speaking literally….In is soliloquy (Acts Chapter 7) before the Sanhedrin before his stoning to martyrdom he used the term father in referring to Abraham Isaac and Jacob as fathers and also to his Israelite ancestors as fathers.

St. John the beloved disciple also did not understand Christ to be teaching literally as we can see in the following verses:

(1Jn 2:13 DRB) I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.

(1Jn 2:14 DRB) I write unto you, babes, because you have known the Father. I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

(1Jn 2:15 DRB) Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.

(1Jn 2:16 DRB) For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, which is not of the Father but is of the world.

St. Paul also had a different understanding of Christ’s words than the literalists:

(1Co 4:14 DRB) I write not these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children.

(1Co 4:15 DRB) For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.

(1Co 4:16 DRB) Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ.

St. Paul was speaking of the fact that he is called to shepherd the flock as are all priests. We not only give birth to the Christian through Baptism but also nourish the faithful with the Holy Eucharist and God’s Word. We care for them and bind their spiritual wounds through the delivery of the Sacraments. It is no wonder that we are called father as we care for our Church family as a father cares for his own family.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 8

Its kind of like the priest takes the place of God on earth, and the congregation is like the children. So in effect, they would call him father because he somehow represents God in flesh. It mainly happens in Catholicism.

99% yes to your second question.

Answer 9

It is indeed a false teaching of Christendom. There is only one Almighty God Jehovah and only one mediator to approach God and that's through his son Jesus Christ. We need no other being to approach God except Christ.

Answer 10

in the Bible the concept of fatherhood is not restricted to just our earthly fathers and God. It is used to refer to people other than biological or legal fathers, and is used as a sign of respect to those with whom we have a special relationship.

For example, Joseph tells his brothers of a special fatherly relationship God had given him with the king of Egypt: "So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Gen. 45:8).

Job indicates he played a fatherly role with the less fortunate: "I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know" (Job 29:16). And God himself declares that he will give a fatherly role to Eliakim, the steward of the house of David: "In that day I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah . . . and I will clothe him with [a] robe, and will bind [a] girdle on him, and will commit . . . authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah" (Is. 22:20–21).

This type of fatherhood not only applies to those who are wise counselors (like Joseph) or benefactors (like Job) or both (like Eliakim), it also applies to those who have a fatherly spiritual relationship with one. For example, Elisha cries, "My father, my father!" to Elijah as the latter is carried up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kgs. 2:12). Later, Elisha himself is called a father by the king of Israel (2 Kgs. 6:21).

the imperative "call no man father" does not apply to one’s biological father. It also doesn’t exclude calling one’s ancestors "father," as is shown in Acts 7:2, where Stephen refers to "our father Abraham," or in Romans 9:10, where Paul speaks of "our father Isaac."

Second, there are numerous examples in the New Testament of the term "father" being used as a form of address and reference, even for men who are not biologically related to the speaker. There are, in fact, so many uses of "father" in the New Testament, that the Fundamentalist interpretation of Matthew 23 (and the objection to Catholics calling priests "father") must be wrong, as we shall see.

Third, 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).

The first problem is that although Jesus seems to prohibit the use of the term "teacher," in Matthew 28:19–20, Christ himself appointed certain men to be teachers in his Church: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Paul speaks of his commission as a teacher: "For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle . . . a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth" (1 Tim. 2:7); "For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher" (2 Tim. 1:11). He also reminds us that the Church has an office of teacher: "God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers" (1 Cor. 12:28); and "his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers" (Eph. 4:11). There is no doubt that Paul was not violating Christ’s teaching in Matthew 23 by referring so often to others as "teachers."

Fundamentalists themselves slip up on this point by calling all sorts of people "doctor," for example, medical doctors, as well as professors and scientists who have Ph.D. degrees (i.e., doctorates). What they fail to realize is that "doctor" is simply the Latin word for "teacher." Even "Mister" and "Mistress" ("Mrs.") are forms of the word "master," also mentioned by Jesus. So if his words in Matthew 23 were meant to be taken literally, Fundamentalists would be just as guilty for using the word "teacher" and "doctor" and "mister" as Catholics for saying "father." But clearly, that would be a misunderstanding of Christ’s words.