At your ease with the hierarchy
Media
Part of The Cross
- Title
- At your ease with the hierarchy
- Creator
- Lopez, Justo N.
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1958
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- THE CROSS 10 At Your Ease With The Hierarchy 7J IERARCHY” according to the book “At Your Ease in the Catholic Church” of Mary Perkins (Sheed & Ward, New York, 1938) “means Holy Rule, so the power of jurisdiction begins with and centers in His Holiness, the Pope, and works out and down to the youngest curate in a country parish on the other side of the world.” For the benefit of the Knights of Colum bus and other lay people, our Territorial Deputy assigned to this writer the not so easy task of writing something about Ec clesiastical Titles and Forms of addressing the members of the Hierarchy and thus be "At Our Ease” with the same. The highest authority in the Catholic Church resides in the Holy Father. The official titles of the Pope are: His Holiness the Pope; Bishop of Rome and Vicar of .Jesus Christ; Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles; Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church; Patriarch of the West; Primate of Italy; Archbishop and Metropo litan of the Roman Province; and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City. When a Catholic person is privileged to approach His Holiness, he has to kneel down (on two knees) and when the Pope extends his hands, he kisses the ring arid does not stand up unless told so by His Ho liness. The privileged nerson in speaking to the Pope addresses His Holiness thus: Most Holy Father or Your Holiness. If one wants to write a letter to the Holy Father, he addresses his letter thus: His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, Vatican City, and begins his letter with this saluta tion.: Your Holiness, or Most Holy Father. The concluding paragraph of our letters to the Pope is: Your Holiness’ most humble servant. If a Filipino wants to have an audience either general, special or private with the Holy Father, he must obtain the necessary “biglietto” or pass from the “Anti Camera Apostolica”, thru the recommendation of ei ther the Apostolic Nuncio, the Pope’s Re presentative in the PhiiipDines. his own Archbishop or Bishop, or thru the office of the Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See. In general audience no special dress is 1. Pope By Justo N. Lopez, K.S.O.M., K.S.S. (Honorary Papal Chamberlain of His Holiness, Pope Pius XII) required, only that women are requested to come in modest dresses, that is, no sleeve less or neckless dresses. In special and private audiences, usually one is required to come in formal attire, and we Filipinos can use for such occasions our Barong Ta galog, with black pants, and our Filipina Dress (this one with some long sleeve un-_ dershirt). After the Holy Father has deigned to talk to one, the person must kneel down again’’ and kiss the Holy Father’s ring asking for his blessing, which the Pope in almost all cases extends also to' the family, of the pri vileged person and to his beloved ones. In the following issues we shall take up the manner of addressing the Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, other minor Prelates and Priests of the Ro man Catholic Church. To be continued COMPETITION In the window of a department store: “If you need it, we have it.” In the window of another store across the street: “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.”