The Very Reverend is a
style given to members of the
clergy. The definite article "The" should always precede "Reverend" as "Reverend" is a style or fashion and not a title.
Catholic
In the
Catholic Church, the style is given, by custom, to priests who hold positions of particular note: e.g.
vicars general, episcopal vicars, judicial vicars, ecclesiastical judges, vicars forane (deans or archpriests), provincials of religious orders, rectors or presidents of cathedrals, seminaries or colleges/universities, priors of monasteries,
canons, for instance. (The style is ignored if the holder is a monsignor or a bishop; otherwise, a priest who is "Very Reverend" continues to be addressed as Father.) Monsignors of the grade of
Chaplain of His Holiness were formerly styled as ''The Very Reverend Monsignor'', while
honorary prelate
A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour.
They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing.[protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic (PA; Latin: ''protonotarius apostolicus'') is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pop ...]
s were styled ''The Right Reverend Monsignor''. Now, apart from legitimate custom or acquired right, most monsignors are simply styled ''The Reverend Monsignor''. The style is also accorded in the
Dominican Order to holders of the title of
Master of Sacred Theology.
Eastern Orthodox
In the
Eastern Orthodox churches, the style is used for
archimandrites,
protopresbyters and unmarried parish priests, while married priests are typically styled ''The Reverend''.
Anglican
In the
Anglican Communion,
"How to address the clergy", ''Crockford's Clerical Directory'' website.
/ref> the style is used with certain senior priests in a diocese. The senior priest of a cathedral, whether a dean or a provost, is usually styled as ''The Very Reverend'' regardless of whether the priest is also the rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the cathedral parish, or whether the cathedral is a parish church. In the Episcopal Church USA
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine Ecclesiastical provinces and dioces ...
, the dean of a seminary or divinity school is also styled in this form, as is the priest who is either appointed by the local bishop or elected by fellow priests as the leader of a deanery, which is a geographic subdivision of a diocese. In some Episcopal dioceses convocation is used in lieu of deanery. The deans of dioceses in the Scottish Episcopal Church (who do not head a cathedral chapter) and the Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church co ...
(who do) are also styled as ''The Very Reverend''.
Presbyterian
In some mainline Protestant churches with a Presbyterian heritage, the style is used for former Moderators of the General Assembly, such as:
*a former Moderator of the United Church of Canada
The Moderator of the United Church of Canada is the most senior elected official within the United Church of Canada. He or she may be a lay person or a member of the Order of Ministry and is elected to a three-year term by commissioners attend ...
who is an ordained minister (as laypeople can also be elected to the position of moderator)
*a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
*a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
.
By custom, the Dean of the Chapel Royal, the Dean of the Thistle
The Dean of the Thistle is an office of the Order of the Thistle, re-established in 1687. The office is normally held by a minister of the Church of Scotland, and forms part of the Royal Household in Scotland.
In 1886 the office of Dean of ...
and (if a Church of Scotland minister) the principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews, are also styled ''The Very Reverend''.
See also
* The Reverend
* The Right Reverend
References
Ecclesiastical styles
{{christianity-stub