How to Address the Pope

Addressing the Pope in Writing

Address the Pope as "Your Holiness." Another acceptable way to address the Pope in writing would be "Most Holy Father." Note, however, that on the envelope, you should address the Pope as “His Holiness, ________” with the Pope's name in the blank. For instance, if writing to Pope Francis, the envelope would read, “His Holiness, Pope Francis.”

Maintain a respectful tone. Throughout the body of the letter, your tone should be polite and gracious. You do not need to write in flowery language, but your language should be on par with how you would speak or be expected to speak inside a Catholic church. Avoid swearing, slang, derogatory language, or any other forms of impolite speech. Write out everything you need or want to say, but keep in mind that the Pope is a busy man. Instead of dragging on and spending extensive space on flattery, it would be better for all parties concerned if you kept the formalities basic and went directly into the purpose of your letter.

Conclude the letter politely. As a Roman Catholic, you should conclude the letter with a sentence along the lines of, "I have the honor to profess myself with the most profound respect. Your Holiness' most obedient and humble servant," before signing your name. If you are not a Catholic, you can change the closing to something along the lines of, "With every good wish to Your Holiness, I am, Sincerely Yours," followed by your signature. Something as simple as "With every best wish. Sincerely yours," with a signature after it would also work for a non-Catholic writing to the Pope. Regardless of the exact wording you choose, the level of respect you demonstrate should correspond to the minimum level of respect you should have for someone in the Pope's position, at the very least. Someone who does not follow Catholic teaching or who disagrees with the Pope should still recognize his position of authority and close in a respectful manner. Anyone who does follow Catholic teaching should demonstrate the respect expected from one addressing the leader of his or her faith on Earth.

Know the Vatican mailing address. If you plan to send your letter by traditional mail, you should write the address on the envelope as: His Holiness, Pope Francis / Apostolic Palace / 00120 Vatican City. Note that you should separate the address onto separate lines according to the placements of the slashes, /. Other ways to write the same address include: His Holiness, Pope Francis PP. / 00120 Via del Pellegrino / Citta del Vaticano His Holiness Pope Francis / Apostolic Palace / Vatican City His Holiness Pope Francis / Vatican City State, 00120 Do not write "Italy" on the envelope as the country. The Vatican is considered its own independent nation, completely separate from Italy.

Addressing the Pope in Person

Refer to the Pope as "Holy Father.” Other appropriate ways to address the Pope in person include "Your Holiness" and "Most Holy Father." “His Holiness” and “Holy Father” both address the Pope by his title and position in the Church. You should address the Pope only by these titles rather than by his name when speaking to him face-to-face.

Stand and applaud as the Pope enters. The amount of applause will vary depending on the venue, but you should always stand in respect once the Pope walks into the room you are in. Usually, if the venue is a small room with a small to mid-size crowd, the applause is quiet and polite. For large venues, however, like a stadium Mass, loud applause and even cheers are appropriate.

Genuflect as the Pope approaches. If the Pope approaches you directly, you should kneel with your right knee bent to the floor. You do not need to make the Sign of the Cross, as you would do while genuflecting to the Eucharist, but you should still bend at the knee. Genuflection is a sign of high respect.

Kiss his ring, when appropriate. If you are Catholic and if the Pope offers you his hand, that would be an appropriate time to plant a quick yet respectful kiss on the Piscatory ring, also known as the Ring of the Fisherman, traditionally worn by the Pope. On the other hand, if the Pope offers you his hand and you are not Catholic, you are not obligated to kiss the ring. You could simply shake his hand, instead. The Ring of the Fisherman is a symbol and mark of the office. By kissing it, you show both respect and sincere affection for the man who holds that office.

Speak respectfully, clearly, and concisely. Plan what to say beforehand so that you do not stumble too much over your words, and maintain a tone that is both clear and respectful the entire time. Start by introducing yourself. Give your name and say something important or fitting about yourself. If you came to the Vatican for a specific purpose or desired an audience with the Pope for a specific purpose, you should also state that. The Pope will guide the conversation, and you should let him do so. Keep your answers direct and brief, and speak in a clear, loud voice so that the Pope can hear you.

Stand up as the Pope leaves. As soon as the Pope stands to leave, you should stand, as well. Wait until he leaves the room before you sit down again or pay attention to anything else. Applause is not usually necessary at the end of the audience or event, but if you are in a large crowd and the crowd begins to applaud, it is appropriate to join in if you so desire.