8.122. As a Novus Ordo Catholic, I feel odd kissing a bishop’s ring or saying ‘Your Excellency.’ Isn’t that too much? Shouldn’t we just be casual and friendly with clergy?
This mindset is a result of the post-Vatican II dismantling of Catholic reverence, which replaced dignity and sacred office with egalitarianism, informality, and false humility. But the Catholic Church has always shown deep respect for hierarchy, not because of the man’s personality, but because of his office, which participates in the authority of Christ the King.
Failing to show reverence to bishops and clergy is not humility—it’s ingratitude, spiritual blindness, and ultimately a rejection of God’s authority on earth.
This objection arises from the spirit of the world, not the mind of Christ. In the Catholic Faith, we show reverence to bishops—not because of who they are as men, but because of what they represent: successors of the Apostles, vested with authority from God, guardians of the Faith, and ministers of the sacraments that bring us eternal life.
Kissing a bishop’s ring is not about worshiping a man—it is about honoring his sacred office and the episcopal authority that comes from Christ Himself. Calling him “Your Excellency” is not flattery—it’s Catholic tradition and recognition of his spiritual dignity.
Casualness with clergy breeds disrespect, then disbelief, then apostasy. That’s exactly what has happened in the Vatican II religion.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Modern / Novus Ordo View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respect for Bishops | Reverence due to office as successor of the Apostles | “Just one of us”; no special honor needed | Scripture says: *“Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour”* (1 Tim. 5:17) |
| Kissing the Ring | Sign of honor to Christ’s authority and apostolic succession | Seen as awkward, “old-fashioned,” or unnecessary | We are not honoring the man, but the office of Christ |
| Titles (e.g., “Your Excellency”) | Traditional address acknowledging ecclesiastical dignity | Downplayed for informality (e.g., “Hey, Bishop John!”) | Respectful titles reinforce the sacredness of the Church’s hierarchy |
| Clerical Familiarity | Formality and distance preserve reverence | Friendliness and casual tone seen as more “authentic” | Over-familiarity breeds loss of faith and disobedience |
| Liturgical Impact | Reverent clergy lead reverent worship | Casual clergy lead casual, irreverent liturgies | Destroying reverence in one area affects the entire Church |
| Fruits | Veneration, discipline, respect for authority | Disrespect, doctrinal confusion, clergy scandals | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
The loss of reverence for bishops and clergy is not a sign of progress—it is a sign of decay. We don’t kiss a bishop’s ring because we idolize him—we do it because we love and fear God, and we recognize His authority flowing through the sacred hierarchy.
This casual, egalitarian attitude toward clergy is one of the root causes of the Church’s collapse after Vatican II. When bishops stopped being treated like successors of the Apostles, they stopped acting like it—and the faithful stopped believing in anything sacred.
As Pope Pius XII warned:
“The greatest sin of our time is the loss of the sense of sin.”
But before that came the loss of the sense of reverence.
If we would restore the Church, we must restore the sacred—beginning with how we speak to and treat those who bear the mark of Christ’s authority.