Reverend

Reverend (pronounced rev-ruhnd (U) or rev-er-uhnd (non-U))

(1) A title of respect applied or prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy or a religious order (initial capital letter).

(2) Worthy to be revered; entitled to reverence.

(3) Pertaining to or characteristic of the clergy.

(4) In informal use, a member of the Christian clergy; a minister.

1400–1450: From the late Middle English reverend (also as reverent) (worthy of deep respect, worthy to be revered (due to age, character etc)), from the Middle French révérend, from the Old French, from the Latin future passive participle reverendus (he who is worthy of being revered; that is to be respected), gerundive of reverērī (to stand in awe of, respect, honor, fear, be afraid of), from the deponent verb revereor (I honor, revere).  The construct of reverērī was re- (in this case used probably as an intensive prefix) + vereri (stand in awe of, fear, respect) from the primitive Indo-European root wer- (perceive, watch out for).

As a courteous or respectful form of address for clergymen, it has been in use since the late fifteenth century, a variation of the earlier reverent which had been used in this sense since the later fourteenth century; it was prefixed to names by the 1640s and the abbreviation Rev. was introduced in the 1690s, becoming accepted and common by the 1720s.  One historical quirk is that the vice-chancellor of the University of University is formally styled The Reverend the Vice-Chancellor even if not a member of the clergy, a relic of the days when the appointee always held some ecclesiastical office.

The Roman Catholic Church

Cardinal George Pell (b 1941).  When appointed bishop and subsequently archbishop, he was styled The Most Reverend but upon becoming a cardinal, although remaining an archbishop, a cardinal's form of address prevailed and he was instead styled His Eminence.

Religious sisters can be styled Reverend Sister although this is now rare outside Italy unless the order to which the sister is attached is under the authority of the Vatican and not the local bishop.  Abbesses of convents are styled The Reverend Mother Superior.  Deacons are styled The Reverend Deacon if ordained permanently to the diaconate.  Seminiarians are styled The Reverend Mister if ordained to the diaconate and prior to being ordained presbyters.  Priests are styled variously The Reverend or The Reverend Father according to tradition whether diocesan, in an order of canon regulars, in a monastic or a mendicant order or clerics regular.  Priests appointed to grades of jurisdiction above pastor are styled The Very Reverend (there are appointments such as  vicars general, judicial vicars, ecclesiastical judges, episcopal vicars, provincials of religious orders of priests, rectors or presidents of colleges and universities, priors of monasteries, deans, vicars forane, archpriests et al).  Certain appointments such as Protonotaries Apostolic, Prelates of Honour and Chaplains of His Holiness are styled The Reverend Monsignor.  Abbots of monasteries are styled The Right Reverend.  Bishops and archbishops are styled The Most Reverend (In some countries of the British Commonwealth, only archbishops are styled The Most Reverend while bishops are styled The Right Reverend).  The word is not used in relation to cardinals or the pope.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Reverend (and its variations) appears only in writing; in oral use other titles and styles of address are used except in the rare cases of ceremonies where the entire style of an individual is recited.

The Orthodox Church

Lindsay Lohan as a Reverend Sister in Machete (2010).

Deacons are styled The Reverend Deacon (traditionally only in writing and not universally applied).  A married priest is The Reverend Father; a monastic priest is The Reverend Hieromonk; a protopresbyter is The Very Reverend Father; and an archimandrite is either The Very Reverend Father (Greek practice) or The Right Reverend Father (Russian practice).  For most purposes all may be addressed as Father and the most comprehensive (and multi-lingual) style guide is that published by the office of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.  Abbots and abbesses are styled The Very Reverend Abbot or Abbess and are addressed as Father and Mother respectively.  A bishop is referred to as The Right Reverend Bishop and addressed as Your Grace (or Your Excellency).  An archbishop or metropolitan, whether or not he is the head of an autocephalous or autonomous church, is styled The Most Reverend Archbishop or Metropolitan and addressed as Your Eminence.  Heads of autocephalous and autonomous churches with the title Patriarch are styled differently and the word reverend shouldn’t be used; the actual use varies according to the customs of their respective churches and is always Beatitude but sometimes also Holiness and, exceptionally, All-Holiness (if reverend appears by error, it’s not considered offensive).

The Anglican Communion (including the Episcopalian churches)

Deacons are styled as The Reverend, The Reverend Deacon, or The Reverend Mr, Mrs or Miss (and Ms has been added to the style guides of the more liberal branches).  Priests (vicars padres, rectors and curates et al) are usually styled as The Reverend, The Reverend Father or Mother (even if not a religious) or The Reverend Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms.  Heads of some women's religious orders are styled as The Reverend Mother (even if not ordained).  Canons are often styled as The Reverend Canon.  Deans are usually styled as The Very Reverend (although this can vary for those attached to larger cathedrals).  Archdeacons are usually styled as The Venerable.  Priors of monasteries may be styled as The Very Reverend.  Abbots of monasteries may be styled as The Right Reverend.  Bishops are styled as The Right Reverend.  Archbishops and primates and (for historical reasons) the Bishop of Meath and Kildare are styled as The Most Revered and there is no difference in the style afforded to the twenty-six bishops of the old bishoprics with seats in the House of Lords.

The first and second women in the Anglican Church to be appointed as Most Reverend Archbishops Kay Goldsworthy (b 1956; Archbishop of Perth in the Province of Western Australia since 2018) (left) & Melissa Skelton (b 1951; Metropolitan and Archbishop in the Anglican Church of Canada since 2018) (right).