Catholics, why do you call your Preists "Father"?

Question

"Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Matt. 23:9).
just curious...

Answer 1

After Jesus states; “Only One is your Father," He Himself proceeded to declare, "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ." Yet He Himself acknowledged Nicodemus to be a "Teacher of Israel".

In Luke 16:24 Jesus tells us that the rich man cries out; “Father Abraham, have mercy on me.”

St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:15. "For if you were to have countless instructors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." Is not St. Paul in this statement claiming to be the ‘Spiritual Father' of the Corinthians? Certainly St. Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, did not interpret our Lords words to mean only our Heavenly Father was to be called "Father.”

Are we therefore saying that the Apostles ignored Jesus? Are we saying our Lord Jesus Christ contradicted Himself and violated his own laws, or could it be that many people are really misinterpreting the Gospels?

Some Protestant interpreters are sure that Jesus is warning here against addressing Church leaders as "father." They, of course, are interpreting "father" in this Scripture to mean, "spiritual father." Therefore, they refuse to call their clergymen "father," preferring instead such titles as "pastor," "reverend," or per­haps even "brother."

At the outset, therefore, let me point out that "spiritual father" is an interpretation of the Lord's statement rather than what He actually said. Mind you, I am not denying the need for interpretation of Scripture. Instead, I am pointing out that the Lord said "father," not "spiritual father."

What is at issue here? Simply this: taken at face value, Jesus' warning against calling any man "father" would not only seem to rule out calling a clergyman "father," it would also keep us from using that title for earthly fathers and grandfathers, ancient Church fa­thers, or even city fathers, would it not? For in reality, the Lord's statement, as it appears in the text, is that only one Person is ever to be called "father," namely, our Father who is in heaven.

But is Christ's saying to be taken at face value? If so, several other passages in the Bible are immediately in conflict, including some statements by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. To the church at Corinth he wrote, "For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel,"{1 Corinthians 4:15 (New American Standard Version)}. Does not Paul claim to be the spiritual father of the Corinthians— "Father Paul," if you please?

Furthermore, he boldly refers to his spiritual ancestry as "our fathers." {1 Corinthians 10:1} And he did address earthly fathers in Colosse in this way: "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged," {Colossians 3:21}. It would appear the Apostle Paul certainly did not interpret the Lord Jesus Christ's words to mean only One was to be called "father," that is, the heavenly Father.

In addition to this, when the rich man saw Abraham in heaven with Lazarus in his bosom, and addressed him as "Father Abraham," Abraham's response was not, "Do you not realize that only God the Father is to be called 'father'?" Rather, he replied, "Son, remember. . ." {Luke 16:24, 25}.

Instances like the above could be multiplied from Scripture to show that a great many people are acknowledged to be "fathers."

But let us not stop here. For after saying only "One is your Father," Jesus proceeded to declare, "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ," {Matthew 23:10}. Yet He Himself acknowledged Nicodemus to be a "teacher of Israel," {John 3:10}. And, in the church at Antioch certain men were called "prophets and teachers" {Acts 13:1}.

Then again, the Apostle Paul not only recognized teachers as gifts of God to the Church, {1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11}… but he also did not hesitate to call himself "a teacher of the Gentiles," {2 Timothy 1:11}. Furthermore, in this present day, almost all of us have at one time or another called certain people Sunday School teachers. The discussion thus goes far beyond any Protestant-Catholic lines. Therefore, in saying we should call no one "father" and "teacher," except God the Father and Christ Himself, the Lord Jesus appears not to be taking issue with the use of these particular titles in and of themselves. The context of the passage gives us the interpretive key we are looking for.

In this "call no man father" passage, our Lord is contending with certain rabbis of His day who were using these specific titles to accomplish their own ends. And had these same apostate rabbis been using other titles, such as "reverend" and "pastor," Jesus, it seems to me, would have said of these as well, "Call no one reverend or pastor."

To what ends, therefore, were the rabbis using the titles "father" and "teacher"? The answer revolves around at least two critical areas of leadership: teaching and personal character.

Consider first the teaching of these particular rabbis. They had begun their teaching at the right place, the Law of Moses. Said Jesus, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat," {Matthew 23:2}. Moses' Law was the true tradition. God had given it to Israel through Moses. The rabbis' responsibility was to preserve that tradition and faithfully pass it on to the next generation.

All too often, however, a rabbi would add his own grain of wisdom to the true tradition, thereby clouding it. Instead of passing down the sacred deposit along with the true interpretations of that deposit, he would add his own private interpretation. In turn his disciples, like their teacher, would, after becoming rabbis, do the same thing. (Some things never change, do they!)

The final outcome of all this was a tradition of men that made the true Mosaic tradition of no effect. To these very rabbis Jesus said, "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men," {Mark 7:8}… and again, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition . . . making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down," {Mark 7:9, 13}. The summation of their private interpretations did in fact "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men,” {Matthew 23:13}.

In order to cut through all this tradition of men that had made the Mosaic tradition of no effect, and to bring people back to the truth, Jesus told His disciples, "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' "{Matthew 23:8}. In other words, He was telling them not to use their positions as fa­thers and teachers as an opportunity to build disciples around their own private opinions. For to do so would only serve to "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men," {Matthew 23:13} .

Instead, with the coming of Christ, these rabbis—and indeed all who would teach God's Word—are to hand down faithfully the true tradition of only one Rabbi: Christ Himself. The Bible, through the pen of the Apostle John, calls this particular tradition "the doctrine of Christ,"{2 John 9}. In fact, this is why the specific teaching of the Twelve became known as "the apostles' doctrine," {Acts 2:42}.

Since their time, successive generations of fathers and teachers in the Church have handed down and guarded the apostolic doctrine concerning Christ very carefully, for it represents the true interpretation of Holy Scripture. This faithfulness to true Christian doctrine, by the way, can especially be seen in the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church, held between the fourth and eighth centuries.

It behooves anyone who claims to be a teacher of Christ's doctrine to be faithful to the apostles' doctrine handed down in those Councils. Otherwise he runs the risk of inserting his own "private interpretation," {2 Peter 1:20}.

While it is true that all teachers of Christ's doctrine must begin at the right place, namely, the Holy Scriptures, it is also true that they should give the correct and true interpretation of Holy Scripture as passed down by holy and godly teachers and fathers of the Church, especially in the Seven Councils.

Why are the Seven Ecumenical Councils so important? Because they point out what the Church universally held to be the true teaching concerning the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity. They are faithful to what the Holy Scriptures teach concerning the one true Rabbi and Teacher, Jesus Christ. Teachers and fathers who teach private interpretations contrary to the doctrine of Christ as taught in the Seven Ecumenical Councils should not, I believe, be recognized as true teachers and fathers.

A second critical area of rabbinic leadership with which Jesus was concerned was personal character. He had detected a major flaw in the character of the scribes and Pharisees, a sin that might be called self-exaltation. They were using their position as fathers and teachers among God's people to exalt themselves. They wanted to be sure they received appropriate recognition. In light of this lack of character, Jesus said, "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted," {Matthew 23:11, 12}.

Their self-exalting spirit had manifested itself in several ways. First, in hypocrisy: "for they say," said Jesus, "and do not do," {Matthew 23:3}. All talk and no walk. Their talk was cheap because it was totally contradicted by their behavior. In pretense they would make long prayers, but in behavior devour widows' houses, {Matthew 23:14}.

They would make oaths, swearing by the gold of the temple rather than by the temple that sanctified the gold, thereby revealing their secret love of money, {Matthew 23:16, 17}. Although they paid tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, which they should have done gladly, they neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith, {Matthew 23:23}.

Because they were hypocrites in these and numerous other ways, the Lord summed up His critique by saying, "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness," {Matthew 23:28}. Plainly, their "insides" did not match their "outsides" because they were filled up with a self-exalting and self-serving spirit.

A second manifestation of their self-exalting spirit was the noticeable lack of actual service on their part. "For," said Jesus, "they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers," {Matthew 23:4}.

No dirt was to be found under their fingernails. They were simply a group of lazy leaders who wanted to be served rather than to serve. No wonder, then, Jesus said not to be like them, for from God's standpoint, "he who is greatest among you shall be your servant," {Matthew 23:11}. A third manifestation of their self-exalting spirit was self-love, demonstrated by a desire to be seen by men {Matthew 23:5}, by their love for the best seats at the feasts and in the synagogues {Matthew 23:6}, and by their love of greetings in the marketplaces, being called by men, "Rabbi, Rabbi," {Matthew 23:7}.

This self-love was a clear transgression of the Mosaic Law, which they professed to be keeping. For Moses' entire law could be summed up in the two great commandments, the greatest of which is, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," {Matthew 22:37}. The second greatest is, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," {Matthew 22:39}.

Thus, these fathers and teachers were not leading their people into the love of God and neighbor. Quite to the contrary, they were exhibiting a self-exalting, self-serving spirit, filled up with a love for self.

In the face of the stench and shame of the apostasy of these religious leaders, therefore, Jesus commanded His disciples, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven," {Matthew 23:9}. While Father Abraham by his faithfulness deserved the title, as did others of Israel's greats in history, these men had forfeited their role as fathers. They were to cease and desist in their use of the term and, in turn, bow to God Himself as the fountainhead of all fatherhood.

And in issuing His warning, Jesus addresses us today with the greatest of all commandments, pointing the fathers and teachers in His Church and those they lead to a primacy of love for God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to a love for one's neighbor.

Answer 2

I think it's more an endearment than anything. I'm not trying to justify myself..just tryin to answer the question. I mean, we call our biological fathers our fathers, right? And it's true, too. Well, maybe the quote means you should think of no one as your true father - your REAL creator, the one that made you much more fully than your human father - than God. Obviously I can't be sure, but I'd guess my parish priest would say the same thing.

Answer 3

Paul’s statement, For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:14-15)

In fact Peter, Paul and John all imply their role as a spiritual father to the earlier followers.

Answer 4

Suzi is the scary one here, boy. St. Paul talks about how he has become someones "Father" in Christ. It is mentioned a few other times too. This is a spiritual Fatherhood and as we are all of the Body of Christ with our baptism, then it is not a stretch how the priest who has become our spiritual father is called father.

Answer 5

Take a look at the entire verse in context, and that will clear up your confusion.

Mat 23:4-14 For they (the Pharisees) bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

********
Clearly, Jesus is referring to the spiritual leaders of His time, the Scribes and Pharisees. He is warning His followers not to be like those religious leaders who loved being thought of as spiritual "fathers" and making public shows of their so-called holiness. These men didn't earn the right to be called Father, and those are the ones that Jesus is telling the people not to call by that title.

And as you can tell from the Scriptures that Fr. Joseph so thoroughly quoted, even St. Paul and St. John referred to human beings as 'fathers." This time, they are talking to those who, through their love of Christ and service to His people, have earned the right to be called a spiritual father. If it was wrong to call any man by that title, then St. Paul and St. John's words wouldn't be preserved in Scripture.

This is one of the oldest accusations that people level against us Catholics, when all it would take to clear things up would be a little research and looking at the context of the passage. But there will always be those who would rather accuse and point fingers than find out the truth for themselves, as you can see from some of the responses you've gotten here.

I'd like to think that you'd be fair and honest enough to give Best Answer to someone like Fr. Joseph or Jacob who both did a great job of explaining this Catholic practice. Time will tell, though, whether or not you can set aside your own preconceived ideas and listen to the truth from those who know their faith.

Answer 6

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 7

did you call your dad, father? its ok if you did, Jesus called his daddy father also. we call priests father, and st paul said in scripture that he became our father for he had begotten us in the gospels. meaning that as a father gives life, so does a priest give life to souls thru the sacraments esp confession, a person comes in dead in the soul with mortal sins, and comes out clean and forgiven and with life restored thru the absolution the priest gives, as the power given him thru the aposltes.

Answer 8

In response to cristoiglesia:

Matthew 23 can be taken quite literally without saying we can't call doctors, teachers, or professors by their professional titles.


Jesus' words (as usual) are spiritual. He is saying that as it relates to our faith and spiritual walk, there are no masters and apprentices -- only God, and the rest of us.

We are all priests. Remember?

Answer 9

Why do you call your father "father" then?....Dad and Pops and Pa and any other word all mean the same thing - father

Answer 10

What do you call the man that raised you? Why do you call him that?

Answer 11

Matthew 23:1-12:
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

OK, so what's He saying here? What's His point? He is admonishing those who would raise themselves up as "holier than thou," are spiritually prideful, and boasters. He is saying that we are not to put any man, including ourselves, including the Pope, above God, simple as that. He is not saying that we are not to literally ever call a man father or rabbi or teacher or master; to believe otherwise is to call Him a liar because He Himself calls people father, in both the physical and spiritual sense (in that same chapter, even, in Mark 7, Mark 10, Mark 13, Luke 6, etc.) and doesn't admonish those who refer to "our father David" as they greet Him during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The four evangelists speak the same way, Christ's Mother speaks the same way, as does Paul who refers numerous times to our "father Abraham."

More important to the argument is Paul's acknowledging his own spiritual fatherhood, I Corinthians 4:14-17 being among the most explicit in which he says "I have begotten you through the Gospel," translated in the NIV and NASB (among others) as "I became your father through the Gospel." Tellingly, in this verse he even distinguishes between people who teach about Christ and "fathers" in Christ (see verse below) -- i.e., he differentiates between all Christians, who are exhorted to teach about Christ, and "spiritual fathers," who are ordained priests.

In addition, he is constantly referring to his "children," calls Timothy and Oneismus his "sons," and indicates that the other elders (presbyteros, priests) do the same: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12: "As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children." Spiritual fatherhood is a New Testament reality.

If you want to interpret the above verses to mean that Catholics are woefully sinning by calling their priests "Father," and that Jesus meant we are to never literally call anyone "father," "rabbi," "mater," or "teacher," then for consistency's sake you'd better stop using the following words and phrases: Mister (means "Master"), Master of Ceremonies, Maitre d', master of the house, master sergeant, magistrate (from the Latin "magistratus" for "master"), Master of Arts (M.A.), founding father, city father, snake doctor, and witch doctor, teacher, substitute teacher, student teacher, and so forth. And you'd best never let me hear you calling your Dad "father" and you'd better start addressing the guy who works at the synagogue as "hey, you" and wax as indignant toward Jews who won't buy your ideas as you are toward Catholics. You might also want to start getting extremely indignant at the forced blasphemy every time you fill in a government form asking for "Father's Name."

So, decide: was Jesus being figurative in Matthew 23:1-12 and making a point about the spiritually prideful and those who are impressed by them -- or did He contradict Himself when He went on to refer to people as "fathers" in that very same chapter? Was He being literal or were the evangelists correct in referring to both physical and spiritual fathers? Is it OK to consider the presbyters "fathers" or were Paul and the other priests making a big mistake?