Why do Catholics call priests 'Father' when Jesus said 'Call no man father' (Matthew 23:9)?
In Matthew 23:9, Jesus was using Middle Eastern hyperbole to rebuke the proud Pharisees who placed their own authority above God the Father, not issuing a literal prohibition against titles. If interpreted strictly literally, one could not call their biological parent 'father', nor teachers 'teachers' (Matthew 23:8). The Apostles themselves repeatedly used the spiritual title 'father': St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 'I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel' (1 Corinthians 4:15), and St. John addressed church leaders as 'fathers' (1 John 2:13). Priests are called 'Father' because they share in God's spiritual paternity.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 238
- 1 Corinthians 4:15
- Matthew 23:9
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.