Why are Catholic priests called "father"?

[Tangible]

The only such examples of Fathers that I see in scripture are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; people who are biological fathers of children

Ah! So there is a biological exception in your view. I don't remember seeing any exceptions for biology in the passage in question, if your desire is to stick with the letter of the text.

Are there any more exceptions you would grant?

 

[Constantine the Sinner]

1 Corinthians 4:15.
1 Timothy 1:2

If you object to your father in Christ being called father, then you should object even more to calling your fleshly father "father," for he is less of a father to you. Christ's point is that God is not Father by virtue of his similarity to humans with that title, but rather humans have that title by virtue of similarity to God's relationship with you. It is God who gives you earthly fathers, and their authority and fatherhood is not of itself, but only as given to them by God (as is all earthly authority, see Romans 13).

 

[Radrook]

I don't think that Jesus was referring to us calling our own fathers dad or paw or pop!

 

[Human Sacrifice]

.

 

[Panevino]

Isaiah 51:1-2

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord:
look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Look unto Abraham your father,
and unto Sarah that bare you:
for I called him alone,
and blessed him, and increased him.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Isaiah 51:1-2

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord:
look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Look unto Abraham your father,
and unto Sarah that bare you:
for I called him alone,
and blessed him, and increased him.

First, I am not Jewish, so Abraham and Sarah were not my forebears (n.b. Sarah is never called Mother in Catholicism). Second, my father's name was Daniel, not Abraham.

 

[bbbbbbb]

. We have heard of "father" haven't we? It is so they can infect small rooms of children with elitist propaganda. Next are the religion tests with questions designed to appeal to a child's sense of self. This helps the child's sense of elitism. Just my guess. Where is Henry Ford when you need him?

What happened to your post?

 

[Panevino]

First, I am not Jewish, so Abraham and Sarah were not my forebears (n.b. Sarah is never called Mother in Catholicism). Second, my father's name was Daniel, not Abraham.

James 2:20-22
....Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Genesis 17:15-16

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

 

[bbbbbbb]

James 2:20-22
....Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Genesis 17:15-16

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

So, which is it? Is Mary the Mother in Catholicism or Sarah? Is God the Father or is Abraham the Father in Catholicism?

 

[Human Sacrifice]

I decided to stop harassing people who are better than me. It may be better if what I said had no truth to it, but what would it matter?

What happened to your post?

 

[Panevino]

Panevino said: ↑
James 2:20-22
....Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Genesis 17:15-16

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

So, which is it? Is Mary the Mother in Catholicism or Sarah? Is God the Father or is Abraham the Father in Catholicism?

Rhetorical
Abraham and Sarah both referred to biblically as a spiritual parents, While not being a mutually exclusive trigger with God the Father.
So there is a biblical understanding that does not require a rejection of it

 

[Jeepneytravel]

If taken literally, Jesus words mean that we cannot even call our earthly father, "father".

Why would you want to call a priest 'Father', this being with reverence for his position? A the pope wants to be called holy father yet..now thats a stretch..such batters the first commandment.

 

[Fidelibus]

Matthew 23:9, "And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in Heaven." Notice, however, that this makes no distinction between spiritual fathers, which is what our priests are to us, and biological fathers. In other words, if you interpret this passage to say, absolutely, that no man is to be called father, you cannot distinguish between calling a priest, father, and calling the man who is married to your mother, father.

But, is that actually what this passage is saying? Or is Jesus warning us against trying to usurp the fatherhood of God? Which, in many ways, is what the Pharisees and Scribes were doing. They wanted all attention focused on them...they were leaving God, the Father, out of the equation. Which is why Jesus goes on to call them hypocrites, liars, and whitewashed tombs.

If you interpret this passage from Matthew 23 as an absolute ban against calling anyone your spiritual father, then there are some problems for you in the rest of Scripture. For example, Jesus, in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16, has the rich man referring to Abraham as "father" several times. Paul, in Romans chapter 4, refers to Abraham as the "father" of the uncircumcised, the Gentiles. That's referring to spiritual fatherhood, not biological fatherhood.

In Acts 7:1-2, the first Christian martyr, Stephen, referred to the Jewish authorities and elders who were about to stone him as brothers and "fathers," as does Paul in Acts, chapter 22. This is referring to spiritual fatherhood. So, if you interpret Matthew 23 as saying we cannot call anyone our spiritual father, then you have a problem with Jesus, Paul, Stephen, and the Holy Spirit...they must have all gotten it wrong.

It is okay to call priests "father", just as it was okay for Jesus and Paul to call Abraham "father" and for Stephen and Paul to call the Jewish elders "father." As long as we remember that our true Father is God the Father and that all aspects of fatherhood, biological and spiritual, are derived from Him. And as long as we do not allow anyone else to usurp that role in any way, shape, or form, as the Pharisees and Scribes were prone to do.

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[FenderTL5]

Just curious: Do those objecting to the use of 'father' for priests also object to calling instructors in classes (religious or secular) as 'teacher'?
Matthew 23:10New King James Version (NKJV)
And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Just curious: Do those objecting to the use of 'father' for priests also object to calling instructors in classes (religious or secular) as 'teacher'?
Matthew 23:10New King James Version (NKJV)
And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

Actually, I frequently call other Christians, regardless of their career path, brother, sister, and sometimes father and mother - oh, and elder and deacon. I am an equal-opportunity entitlement Christian.

 

[Panevino]

Actually, I frequently call other Christians, regardless of their career path, brother, sister, and sometimes father and mother - oh, and elder and deacon. I am an equal-opportunity entitlement Christian.

Jut bear in mind in several places the NT authors are comfortable to call their flock children

 

[bbbbbbb]

Jut bear in mind in several places the NT authors are comfortable to call their flock children

I have not been called a child for about fifty years or more. Does "honey" and "sweetie" count? The waitresses seem to like to call me that.

 

[Panevino]

Panevino said: ↑
Jut bear in mind in several places the NT authors are comfortable to call their flock children

I have not been called a child for about fifty years or more. Does "honey" and "sweetie" count? The waitresses seem to like to call me that.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Peter 5:13
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

Philippians 2:22
But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

 

[ViaCrucis]

First, I am not Jewish, so Abraham and Sarah were not my forebears (n.b. Sarah is never called Mother in Catholicism). Second, my father's name was Daniel, not Abraham.

Abraham is our father by faith in Christ, as our Lord Jesus is the Seed of Abraham, and in Christ both Jew and Gentile are Abraham's offspring.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Why would you want to call a priest 'Father',

Now, I don't call my pastor "father", but that's simply not my custom. But it was the custom of the ancient Church, and to the present day, to regard those called to pastor with a fatherly affection. Familial affection is something that has always been part of the way Christians regard one another.

I think what is peculiar is attempting to read some sort of nefarious or sinister meaning into what is, at its heart, simply Christians relating to one another as family.

-CryptoLutheran