His Holiness

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Papal styles of His Holiness
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Holy Father

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Pope Cardinal Cardinal Vicar Moderator of the curia Chaplain of His Holiness Papal legate Papal majordomo Apostolic nuncio Apostolic delegate Apostolic Syndic Apostolic visitor Vicar apostolic Apostolic exarch Apostolic prefect Assistant at the Pontifical Throne Eparch Metropolitan Patriarch Bishop Archbishop Bishop emeritus Diocesan bishop Major archbishop Primate Suffragan bishop Titular bishop Coadjutor bishop Auxiliary bishop Prelate Territorial prelate Territorial abbot
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His Holiness is a style and form of address (in the variant form Your Holiness) for some supreme religious leaders. The title is most notably used by the pope, Oriental Orthodox patriarchs or Catholicoi, the Dalai Lama and Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras.

Christianity[]

Catholic church[]

His Holiness (Latin: Sanctitas) is the official style used to address the Roman Catholic pope.

The full papal title, rarely used, is:

His Holiness (Francis), Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God.

The best-known title, that of "Pope", does not appear in the official list of titles, but is commonly used in the titles of documents, and appears, in abbreviated form, in their signatures as "PP." standing for Papa (Pope).^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The 2020 Annuario Pontificio lists all of his formal titles, except Bishop of Rome, as "historical titles."^[6]

It is customary when referring to popes to translate the regnal name into local languages. Thus he is Papa Franciscus in Latin (the official language of the Holy See), Papa Francesco in Italian (the language of the Vatican), Papa Francisco in his native Spanish, and Pope Francis in English.^[7]

In February 2013, the Holy See announced that former Pope Benedict XVI would retain the style "His Holiness" after resigning and becoming pope emeritus.

The term is sometimes abbreviated to "HH" or "H.H." when confusion with "His/Her Highness" is unlikely. The associated form of address is "Your Holiness".

Orthodox and Eastern churches[]

His Holiness (Latin: Sanctitas) is the official style also used to address the Oriental Orthodox Catholicoi/patriarchs. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople has the title of His All-Holiness (abbreviation HAH). It is also used for certain other Eastern patriarchs, notably those who head a church or rite which recognizes neither Rome's nor Constantinople's primacy.

Other religions[]

The English language honorific "His Holiness", and as female version "Her Holiness", has commonly been used for religious leaders from other traditions, including Buddhism^[8] (for figures such as Lu Sheng-yen, the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa, and the Je Khenpo in Bhutan), Shinto^[9] in Ahmadiyya Islam for the Caliph and in Dawoodi Bohra sect of Ismaili Shia for esteemed office of Da'i al-Mutlaq, .

References[]