Sarah Mitchell
When writing a letter to a Catholic priest, it's important to follow the proper protocol to seem respectful. The way you end a letter to a Catholic priest will depend on your relationship with them, their rank, and whether or not you're Catholic yourself. If you're not Catholic, it's appropriate to conclude the letter with a formal closing, such as With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, your name. Alternatively, you can end with With every best wish. Sincerely yours, your name. If you are Catholic, you might end your letter with Asking Your Excellency's blessing, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, your name. When addressing a bishop, you can sign off with Respectfully yours in Christ, your name. If you know the priest well, it's appropriate to use a simple closing, such as Respectfully yours in Christ, followed by your name.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tone | Formal |
| Ending | "With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, your name." "With every best wish. Sincerely yours, your name." "I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ." "Asking Your Excellency's blessing, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, your name." "Respectfully yours in Christ, your name." "God bless you." "Peace and blessings." "Peace, love and happiness." "God be with you." |
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What You'll Learn
How to end a letter to a Catholic priest
When ending a letter to a Catholic priest, it is important to remain formal and respectful. The specific way you end the letter may depend on whether you are Catholic or not. If you are not Catholic, it is appropriate to conclude the letter in one of the following ways:
> With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, [your name]
> With every best wish. Sincerely yours, [your name]
> I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ.
If you are Catholic, you could use one of these endings:
> Asking the blessing of Your Eminence, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, [your name]
> Respectfully yours in Christ, [your name]
If you know the priest well, you can address them as "Dear Father" or "Dear Father [last name]," and use one of the endings above.
You could also include a Christian message, such as:
> May God's peace and grace be with you
> With Christian love
> With spiritual love
> Love, peace, joy
> Grace abounds
> Watching God work
Finally, remember to use good-quality paper and a matching envelope, and include your name and return address on the envelope.
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How to end a letter to a Catholic bishop
When writing a letter addressed to a Catholic bishop, it is important to follow the proper protocol to seem respectful. Here are some guidelines on how to end such a letter:
Formal Address to a Bishop
A formal letter to a Catholic bishop should end with a graceful closing. The phrase "Respectfully yours in Christ" is generally considered appropriate and respectful. You can simply add this to the end of your letter, followed by your name. For example, "Respectfully yours in Christ, [Your Name]."
Variations in Different Regions
The specific ending of a letter to a Catholic bishop may vary slightly depending on the region. Here are some examples:
- In Italy: The ending can be "Kissing his pastoral ring, I am His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Excellency's very humble and very obedient servant."
- In France: The letter can end with "I have the honour to be Your Grandeur's very humble servant."
- In Spain: The ending can be "I kiss Your Excellency's pastoral ring, of whom I profess myself, with the deepest respect."
Addressing a Bishop in Person
When addressing a Catholic bishop in person, the protocol may differ slightly. It is respectful to refer to the bishop as "Your Excellency" or "Dear Bishop [Last Name]," depending on the level of familiarity.
Addressing Other Catholic Clergy
When writing to other members of the Catholic clergy, such as priests, the ending may vary. For instance, when writing to a secular priest, you can use "Respectfully yours in Christ, your name." For religious order priests, you can address them as "Dear Father," and conclude with "Respectfully yours in Christ, your name."
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How to end a formal Catholic letter
When ending a formal Catholic letter, it's important to follow the correct etiquette to ensure you remain respectful throughout. The way you end your letter will depend on who you are addressing. Here is a guide on how to end a formal Catholic letter to a priest, bishop, brother or sister, cardinal, and archbishop.
Priest
If you are writing to a priest, begin your letter with 'The Reverend Father' followed by the priest's first and last name. If you are not on close terms with the priest, it is best to address them as 'Father' followed by their surname. If you are close to the priest, you can address them as 'Dear Father' or 'Dear Father [last name]'. To end your letter, you can say:
- "Respectfully yours in Christ, [your name]"
- "Respectfully yours, [your name]"
Bishop
When addressing a bishop, write on the envelope: "His Excellency, The Right Reverend [name] Bishop of [place]." You can also address them as 'Dear Bishop [last name]'. To end your letter, you can say:
- "Asking Your Excellency's blessing, I am, Yours respectfully, [your name]"
- "Respectfully yours in Christ, [your name]"
Brother or Sister
To address a brother, write 'Brother [first name] [last name]' adding initials designating his order. The salutation should be 'Dear Brother [last name]'. To end your letter, you can say:
"Respectfully yours in Christ, [your first and last name]"
The same ending can be used when writing to a sister.
Cardinal
Cardinals are second in the Catholic hierarchy after the Pope. Address the envelope of your letter to "His Eminence [name] Cardinal [surname]." Use the salutation 'Your Eminence'. If you are not Catholic, you can end your letter with:
- "With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, [your name]"
- "With every best wish. Sincerely yours, [your name]"
- "I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ"
If you are Catholic, conclude the letter with:
"Asking the blessing of Your Eminence, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, [your name]"
Archbishop
Address the envelope: "His Grace, The Most Reverend Archbishop [name] of [city]." You can end your letter with:
- "Asking Your Excellency's blessing, I am, Yours respectfully, [your name]"
- "Respectfully yours in Christ, [your name]"
General Formal Closings
If you are unsure, a professional closing such as "Sincerely" or "Regards" is always a safe option. You could also end with a spiritual title such as "God bless you", "Peace and blessings", or "God be with you".
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How to end a Catholic letter to a cardinal
When writing a letter to a Cardinal, it is important to follow the correct protocol to appear respectful. The way you end a letter to a Cardinal will differ depending on whether you are Catholic or not.
If you are Catholic, you should end your letter to a Cardinal with the following:
> Asking the blessing of Your Eminence, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, [your name]
If you are not Catholic, you could end your letter with one of the following:
- With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, [your name]
- With every best wish. Sincerely yours, [your name]
- I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ
In English-speaking countries, it is customary to address a Cardinal as Your Eminence in the salutation of the letter. However, if you are writing from France, you should address a Cardinal as Eminence Reverendissime at the beginning of the letter and Your Eminence or His Eminence in the body of the letter. The letter should then be ended with:
> I have the honour to be, with profound respect, Your Most Reverend Eminence's very humble and very obedient servant
If you are writing from Germany, you should address the Cardinal as Monsignore or, if more respect is intended, 'An seine Hochwurden, Monsignore' (His High Worthiness, Monsignore). The letter should then be ended with:
> Your High Worthiness's very humble servant
Alternatively, you could end your letter with a phrase inspired by a Catholic saint. For example, St. Thérèse often signed off her letters with "May you know God's love in every little joy", "Trusting in God's plan for us, I remain yours", "In His Joy", "Only Joy", "Yours in love and littleness", or "All is grace".
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How to end a Catholic letter if you're not Catholic
If you are not Catholic and want to end a letter to a Catholic priest, it is appropriate to conclude with a formal closing salutation. This could be something like "With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, your name." Alternatively, you could end with "With every best wish. Sincerely yours, your name."
If you want to include a spiritual element, you could end with "I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ." Another option is to use a complimentary close, such as "God bless you," "Peace and blessings," "Peace, love and happiness," or "God be with you."
If you are on first-name terms with the priest, you can address them as "Dear Father" or "Dear Father [last name]." If you are not well-acquainted, it is more respectful to use a more formal form of address, such as "Dear Reverend Father [last name]."
It is important to follow proper protocol when addressing a Catholic priest to seem respectful. The level of formality has not changed over time, and traditional etiquette is still observed.
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Frequently asked questions
If you are not Catholic, it is appropriate to end the letter with "With every good wish to Your Excellency, I am, Sincerely yours, your name." Alternatively, you can use "With every best wish. Sincerely yours, your name."
Address the envelope as "His Excellency, The Right Reverend [name] [surname], [D.D.] Bishop of [place]." End the letter with "Asking Your Excellency's blessing, I am, Yours respectfully, your name."
If you know the priest well, you can start with "Dear Father" or "Dear Father [name]." Conclude the letter with "Respectfully yours in Christ, your name."
