thumb|Portrait of Monsignor James F. Loughlin. The ecclesiastical dress of priests styled monsignor is similar to that of bishops.

Monsignor ( ; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons. or Msgr. In some countries, the title "monsignor" is used as a form of address for bishops. However, in English-speaking countries, the title is unrelated to the episcopacy, though many priests with the title later become bishops.

Current honor rules

Current honor classes

Pope Paul VI, in his 1968 publication motu proprio Pontificalis Domus, reduced the number of papal honors allowing "Monsignor" as a style from 14 to three. The protonotary apostolic class was divided into two subsections. The classes of chamberlains and chaplains were abolished, leaving only a single class of "chaplains of his holiness". The three papal honor classes are:

  • Protonotary apostolic (two subclasses):
  • De numero (the higher and less common form)
  • Supernumerary (the highest grade of monsignor found outside the Vatican)
  • Prelate of Honour of His Holiness (formerly the "domestic prelate") However, by 2022 the title had started to be awarded again.

At the October 2013 meeting of the Council of Cardinal Advisers, Pope Francis stated his desire to scale back the honors as part of a broader effort to project a more modest and pastoral vision of leadership. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis never requested papal honors for his priests, associating the honors with clerical "careerism".

In December 2013, Pope Francis decreed that diocesan priests could become "Chaplain of His Holiness", the lowest of the three papal honors. He also set a minimum age required of 65. Existing honors were not affected. Pope Francis decided to continue papal honors from all three classes for two groups of clergy:

  • Officials of the Roman Curia
  • Members of the diplomatic service.

Current forms of address

These are the current forms of address for a monsignor:

  • The written form is Monsignor (first name) (last name) or The Reverend Monsignor (first name) (last name). For example, "Monsignor Bob Smith" or "The Reverend Monsignor Bob Smith".
  • The spoken form is Monsignor (last name). For example, "Monsignor Smith".

In English-speaking countries, bishops and archbishops are not called "monsignor". However, in 1969 the Vatican Secretariat of State indicated that bishops may be addressed as "monsignor". In some countries, the titles "Monsignore", "Monseigneur", "Monsenyor", and "Monseñor" are used for bishops, archbishops and any other prelates below the rank of cardinal or patriarch.

The 1969 instruction also indicated that for bishops "Reverendissimus" (translated as "most reverend") could be added to the word "monsignor". For example, the "Most Reverend Monsignor John Doe". This instruction also applied to:

  • Prelates without episcopal rank who head offices of the Roman Curia
  • Judges of the Rota
  • The promotor general of justice and the defender of the bond of the Apostolic Signatura
  • Protonotaries apostolic "de numero"
  • The four clerics of the camera.

Current ecclesiastical dress

In 1979, the Vatican simplified the dress of monsignors:

Chaplains of His Holiness

Purple-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes, good for all occasions.

Honorary prelates

Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes, good for all occasions. Purple cassocks as choir dress for liturgical events of special solemnity.

Supernumerary protonotaries apostolics

Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes. Purple cassocks as choir dress. Can also wear the purple ferraiuolo, a silk cape. The ferraiuolo is for non-liturgical events, such as graduation and commencement ceremonies.

Protonotaries apostolics de numero

Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes and the purple ferraiuolo. Purple cassocks as choir dress. They can wear the mantelletta in choir dress with a black biretta with a red tuft.

Previous honor rules

Previous honor classes

The Catholic church originally maintained 14 classes of papal honors. A priest with the title of "privy chamberlain" would lose the title when the pope who granted it died. When the pope abolished the privy chamberlain class in 1968, the rule was abolished also.

  • A black mantelletta.

As a result of this they were in some countries referred to as "black protonotaries". However, the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus of Pope Paul VI removed the position of titular protonotary from the Papal Household, even though the title of monsignor, which is to be distinguished from a prelatial rank, has not been withdrawn from vicars general – as can be seen, for instance, from the placing of the abbreviated title Mons. before the name of every member of the secular (diocesan) clergy listed as a vicar general in the Annuario Pontificio.

See also

  • Archpriest
  • Catholic Church hierarchy
  • Milord
  • Monsieur

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Latin text of the Instruction, with an unofficial English translation.
  • , Italian
  • , Italian