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This is the Conversation Forum for Ask h2g2 << Do we need a Chocolate Dodger? If the only certaintys in life are... then they can't be... >> Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Sho - It's Mrs G to you!   Posting 1 When you are talking to one. I'm guessing not something like "and now we're going to review the papers, right Bishop?" Watching BBC Breakfast. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by KB This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 2 Depends. If you're a Christian Brother, for instance, the correct form of address for a bishop wouldn't make it past the filther. If you're a sycophant I think it might be "your grace". (I've just got an image of Bishop Brennan from Father Ted in my head now. "You address me by my proper title! You little bollocks." ) Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Geggs (QoTD Operator) Have you seen something Quotable? Send it to qotd@h2g2.com now! Not sure how? See A87794383 This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 3 Somewhere between 'Your Excellency' and 'Yo, bish' is probably acceptable, though the precise point on that scale my depend on the bishop in question. Geggs Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Icy North This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 4 It's a minefield, and the reference to use is Debrett's. Here's the Religion page - follow the links to the various denominations and ranks. http://debretts.com/forms-of-address/professions/religion.aspx I was surprised to see that you open a letter to a bog-standard English bishop with "Dear Bishop" Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Mu Beta This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 5 Damn, I really feel the need to watch some Father Ted now. My favourite bit (other than small cows and Hitler Window, of course): the 'muttering crowd' from Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep. B Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by swl - Genetically Modified This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 6 Whit? Whit? Surely "My Favourite Horse" has to be the best song never to have won Eurovision? Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Mol - on the little netbook This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 7 'You were wearing your blue jumper.' We introduced Nod to Father Ted this week. And watched an episode we'd managed to miss previously (the stolen whistle). Result! I would have thought the BBC would have checked with the Bishop beforehand how he wanted to be addressed. I imagine many senior clergy nowadays would avoid 'your grace' (or whatever the traditional address is). Did the Bishop at any point use the phrase 'in a very real sense'? It's my favourite when clergy are being interviewed. Or indeed talking at all. Mol Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by Sho - It's Mrs G to you! This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 8 I have never seen Father Ted. And the Bish seemed pretty relaxed and ok with it so I suppose they had checked with him. He studied economics before going into the priesthood and had a few interesting things to say about the economy while reviewing the papers. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by paulh. I'm Lord and master of a fool's Taj Mahal This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 9 I can't remember ever meeting a bishop. My family lived across the street from a Catholic church, staffed by a priest and maybe one or two nuns. The priest would have been addressed as "Father," and the nuns as "Sister." Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by KB This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 10 I wish you hadn't told us that, Sho. DVDs have a funny way of landing on people's doormats. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by paulh. I'm Lord and master of a fool's Taj Mahal This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 11 It's evenb worse than that. DVDs seem to land on the floor under the Christmas tree, usually wrapped in brightly colored paper. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by atinythorn This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 12 I'm suprised someone hasn't replied "Felt tip writing and a stamp on his arse" I once played in a football match against a team of Bishops, whom we trounced due to our superior technical skills. I still have the headline from the local paper the following day. "Atinythorn's invitational XI beat their Bishops and dribble to a finish" Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by You can call me TC - Ready for Reims - June 15th? Pas de panique! A87780612 A33659210 This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 13 And, according to the rest of Icy's link, even Debrett's give only "Bishop" as the form of verbal address. At the most, (probably in speeches) "My Lord Bishop". I think the most amusing in the list is the way to address an invitation to the Bishop and his wife: "The Bishop of Blank and Mrs Smith" Sounds as if you're inviting him and someone else's wife. "Your Excellency" or "Your grace" appear nowhere in any list. An Archbishop is called "Archbishop" and that's that. All quite unpretentious. No idea how long this has been the accepted form. I'm sure I learned something else in my secretarial training. More tea, Vicar? Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by fluffykerfuffle This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 14 having spent 13 of my 16 years of education in Catholic schools, i feel qualified to answer this... how would i address a bishop? on his bottom, i would write to: Beelzebub, father of lies 666 Hells Gate Hades, Hell 66666 with no return address thank you very much slap postage on his right (lower) cheek and then shove him in a postal box Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 28, 2012 by fluffykerfuffle This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 15 i swear i didnt see posting 12 before i posted that! i don't know how i missed it except i amon this dinky little smart gizmo... i have been thinking about posting that all day Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 29, 2012 by Icy North This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 16 <Your Excellency" or "Your grace" appear nowhere in any list.> The only one I can find on a brief search is The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Debrett's says "Roman Catholic archbishops have no claim to territorial titles or to the use of the salutations 'Your Grace' or 'My Lord', and such modes of address are not permitted in official documents. However, unofficially and within the Roman Catholic community, these styles are in common usage." Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 29, 2012 by KB This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 17 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_(style) Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: How do you address a Bishop? Posted Apr 29, 2012 by Odo This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 18 My last encounter with a Bishop went something like this:- Bish :- "Good morning" Us :- "Morning" Bish :- "Are you the bell ringers?" Us :- "Yes" Bish :- "Nice to hear the bells going" Us :- "Er, yes - they're a good ring. We're off to such and such village - see you there in an hour or so." A similar exchange was had a each of the four Churches we met him at that day. Conversation list Conversation list

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