My Lord, why is the Pope called “His Holiness” since no one is holy?
Answer: By Most Rev Joseph Osei-Bonsu
In calling the Pope “His Holiness” or “Holy Father”, it does not mean that we have studied the Pope’s life style and concluded that he is holy! In calling the Pope “His Holiness” or “Holy Father”, we do not imply that he is a saint. For someone to be called a saint in the Catholic Church, that person must first be canonized. Thus, even though the title “His Holiness” was used of both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope St. John XX111 while they were popes, they became saints only after they were canonized on 27 April 2014.
In calling the Pope “His Holiness” or “Holy Father”, we make use of an honorific title in much the same way as we would refer to a judge as “Your Lordship” where the judge may not be one’s lord in any sense! In the same way, we may refer to “Mr. X, Honourable Minister of the High Seas”, whereas there may be nothing “honourable” about him. An honorific title is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person.
In speaking of the Pope as His Holiness or Holy Father, we are aware that only God is holy by his very essence; however, a person, a place, or a may also be called holy by association with God. To be called holy is to express the idea of consecration, that someone or something has been set aside for God. That is why the Bible can call many persons, places, and things holy.
In Genesis 28:16, the place where God appears is “holy”. In Exodus 19:6, God tells the Israelites through Moses, “and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. Aaron, as High Priest, wore sacred vestments and in this connection, we read, “On the headband of his turban was inscribed ‘Holy to Yahweh’” (Exodus 28:36). God’s dwelling place in the Tabernacle is “holy” (Exodus 28:43), as is the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 48:2). Even a goat, the victim of sacrifice to God, is called “holy” in Leviticus 10:17. After Christ’s death and resurrection the Christians called themselves and each other “holy ones” or “saints”, called by God to be his (Romans 1:7). In 1 Peter 1:16 we read, “it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’”.
Since we are his holy people, and his people are the Church, it is fitting that the head of his holy people be called Holy Father – not because of his own merit, but because Christ died for him and for the Church that he leads on earth. Like all Christians, he is called upon to be holy, and as the Head of the Church on earth, he is given this honorific title and he is expected to be holy in a special way. Just as the early Christians did not imply that they did not sin when they referred to themselves as saints, so we do not imply that the Pope does not sin when we give him the honorific title of His Holiness. He is a human being and does sin, but, like all Christians, he is called upon to pursue holiness. By virtue of his office, more holiness is expected of him.