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Attire
Protocol
Addressing Leaders of the Church
We ask that you dress in business attire
for the Conference. Pants are acceptable
for women, as are skirts and dresses that
fall to at least the knee. Dresses and tops
should not be low-cut. Shoulders should be
covered by a jacket or sweater if a sleeveless
dress or top is worn. We suggest that you
wear comfortable, flat-soled shoes for the
duration of the Conference, as we will walk
from the Conference Hall to Saint Peter’s
Basilica and the Vatican Museums along
an uphill, cobblestone path. Please note
that the walk from the Conference Hall
to the Vatican Museums is approximately
10 minutes long. Transportation will be
provided for those unable to walk from the
Conference Hall to the Vatican Museums.
A Papal Audience is scheduled for Friday,
April 29, 2016, pending world events. Dark
colors should be worn by both men and
women. Men should wear a suit and tie,
while women should wear dark dresses that
cover their shoulders. Strictly forbidden are
jeans, shorts, sleeveless shirts, short skirts
and baseball caps. A mantilla, or black veil,
is no longer required for a Papal Audience.
White dresses should not be worn, as such
privilege is reserved only for Catholic queens
or Catholic spouses of kings.
Diocesan or Religious Priest:
Formal introduction: The Reverend Father (First and
Last Name).
Directly addressed: Father (First and/or Last Name) or
simply Father.
Vicar, Provincial, Canon, Dean, or Rector:
Formal introduction: The Very Reverend Father/Vicar
(First and Last Name).
Directly addressed: Reverend (Last Name) or Father
(Last Name).
Monsignor:
Formal introduction: The Reverend Monsignor
(First and Last Name).
Directly addressed: Monsignor (Last Name) or simply
Monsignor.
Bishop or Archbishop:
Formal introduction: His Most Reverend Excellency,
(First and Last Name), Bishop of (Location).
Directly addressed: Your Excellency
Note: You should stand when he enters a room (until he
invites you to sit) and again when he leaves it. Remove
your hat in his presence, and you may kiss the sacred ring
during both the greeting and the closing. If he is your
own Bishop, you may kneel when kissing the ring (though
bowing at the waist is also acceptable); however, do not
do either if the Pope is present.
Cardinal:
Formal introduction: His Eminence, (First Name)
Cardinal (Last Name), Archbishop of (Location).
Directly addressed: Your Eminence or Cardinal
(Last Name)
Note: As with a Patriarch, you should stand when he
enters a room (until he invites you to sit) and again when
he leaves it. Remove your hat in his presence, and you may
kiss the sacred ring during both the greeting and closing. If
he is your own Cardinal, you kneel when kissing the ring
(though bowing at the waist is also acceptable); however,
do not do either if the Pope is present.
The Pope:
Formal introduction: His Holiness, Pope (Name).
Directly addressed: Your Holiness or Holy Father
Note: Men should wear a dark suit and tie and remove
their hats in his presence, while women should wear dark
dresses which cover their shoulders. (White for women
is a privilege reserved to Catholic queens and a select few
royals). Stand when he enters a room (until he invites
you to sit) and again when he leaves it. When introduced,
kneel on your left knee and kiss his ring: repeat before
he leaves.
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