imageA reader asks, “Why did you refer to Bishop Hannan as the most reverend? Why most? A rev is a rev is a rev even if he believes in your phony/balony shroud.”

Here is a short answer (and it is Archbishop, though bishop is okay if you wish):

It is merely a form of address in traditions with episcopal forms of governance:

  • In the Roman Catholic Church, the form, “The Most Reverend” is generally used for archbishops and all bishops except in British Commonwealth countries, where “The Right Reverend,” is preferred for bishops. Some exceptions are found in Ireland. The proper form of address for the Pope is “His Holiness.”
  • In the Anglican Communion, “The Most Reverend” is generally reserved for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Presiding Bishop of the United States, the Irish Bishop of Kildare and Meath, and national church primates throughout the world. For all other bishops the proper form is, “The Right Reverend.”
  • In the various Eastern Orthodox churches, the form “The Right Reverend” is generally used for all bishops other than archbishops and metropolitans for whom the proper form is “His Eminence” rather than “The Most Reverend.” The proper form for the Coptic Pope, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and many other patriarchs of national or ethnic churches is “His Holiness.”

    • But Rev without the most is fine. Below the fold is a very comprehensive list taken from Wikipedia:

While it is customary in Commonwealth countries to include the definate article in the title (The Reverend) and abbreviation (The Rev.), it is customary to omit the article in the United States and elsewhere (Reverend, Rev.).

  • His Holiness (abbreviation HH), oral address Your Holiness, or Holy Father or Our Most Holy Lord ("Sanctissimus Dominus Noster") — the Pope, and the Coptic Orthodox Pope.
  • His All Holiness (abbreviation HAH), oral address Your All Holiness — the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • His Holiness (abbreviation HH), oral address Your Holiness — the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarch of Peć and the Serbs, Catholicos of All Armenians, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and some other patriarchs of Christian Church.
  • His Holiness (abbreviation HH), oral address Your Holiness — the Dalai Lama and holders of certain other Tibetan Buddhist lineages.
  • His Highness the Aga Khan (abbreviation HH the Aga Khan.), oral address Your Highness and then Sir — The Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.
  • His Beatitude, oral address Your Beatitude — Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic patriarchs, Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych. If they have been elevated to the cardinalate by the Pope, they use the traditional "His Eminence" like other cardinals (more properly and formally, "His Beatitude and Eminence").
  • His Eminence (abbreviation "HE", oral address Your Eminence) — Eastern Orthodox metropolitans and archbishops who are not the First Hierarch of an autocephalous church; Roman Catholic cardinals and certain high lamas in Tibetan Buddhism.
  • His Excellency or The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address Your Excellency — Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops in the U.S.A.; or,
  • His Grace or The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address Your Grace) — Roman Catholic archbishops in Commonwealth countries; and Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland
  • His Grace or The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt. Rev.), oral address Your Grace) — Eastern Orthodox bishops.
  • His Lordship or The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt Rev.), oral address My Lord — Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in Commonwealth countries.
  • The Most Reverend and Right Honourable (abbreviation The Most Rev. and Rt Hon.), oral address Your Grace — Church of England (Anglican) archbishops who are Privy Councillors, usually the Archbishops of Canterbury and York
  • The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address Your Grace) — Anglican archbishops, primates, metropolitans and presiding bishops. Also moderators.
  • The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address My Lord) — Church of Ireland (Anglican) Bishop of Meath and Kildare (due to being, historically, the most senior bishop in Ireland)
  • The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address Presiding Bishop — the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana
  • The Most Reverend (abbreviation The Most Rev.), oral address Bishop — the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (United States)[7]
  • The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Monsignor (abbreviation The Rt Rev. and Rt Hon. Mgr), oral address Monsignor, or according to personal preference) — Prelate of Honour who is also a Privy Counsellor (The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Monsignor Graham Leonard KCVO).
  • The Right Reverend and Right Honourable (abbreviation The Rt Rev. and Rt Hon.), oral address My Lord or Bishop — Church of England (Anglican) bishops who are members of the Privy Council, usually the Bishop of London.
  • The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt Rev.), oral address My Lord or Bishop — other Church of England bishops
  • The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt Rev.), oral address Bishop — bishops Episcopal Church (United States) [8]
  • The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt Rev.) — Moderator of the United Church of Canada
  • The Right Reverend Father (abbreviation The Rt. Rev. Fr.), oral address Father — Eastern Orthodox archimandrites.
  • The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt. Rev.), oral address Father or Father Abbot — Roman Catholic abbots.
  • The Right Reverend (abbreviation The Rt Rev., oral address Bishop) — diocesan bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana
  • Bishop (oral address Bishop) an area bishop in The United Methodist Church. The Right Reverend has never been pervasive in The United Methodist Church.
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation The Very Rev. , oral address Father) — Catholic vicars general, judicial vicars, judges, rectors of seminaries, vicars forane, episcopal vicars, general superiors of religious orders of priests, provincial superiors, priors of monasteries or friaries
  • The Very Reverend Father (abbreviation The Very Rev. Fr., oral address Father) — Eastern Orthodox archpriests
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation The Very Rev. , oral address Mr Dean or Mr Provost, as appropriate, or Very Reverend Sir) — Anglican Deans and Provosts of Cathedrals, the Deans of Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and, for historical reasons, a few parish priests, such as the Dean of Bocking. Sometimes an Anglican Cathedral Dean has previously been a bishop, in which case he is styled as a bishop, except that on formal occasions he may be addressed, Mr Dean.
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation The Very Rev. , oral address Very Reverend Sir or Mr Dean) — Deans of some Anglican Seminaries, especially those in the USA
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation The Very Rev. , oral address Osofo Panin) — Superintendent Minister in the Methodist Church Ghana
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation The Very Rev., oral address Reverend) — former Moderators of the United Church of Canada
  • The Reverend Monsignor (abbreviation The Rev. Msgr., oral address Monsignor) — Catholic Church protonotaries apostolic, honorary prelates, chaplains of his holiness
  • The Venerable (oral address Venerable Sir or Mr. Archdeacon) — Anglican Archdeacons
  • Venerable (abbreviation "Ven.", oral address "Venerable" or "Venerable <name or title>") — fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns
  • The Reverend and Right Honourable (abbreviation The Revd and Rt Hon.) — Protestant ordained ministers who are members of the Privy Council (Dr Ian Paisley)
  • The Reverend the Honourable (abbreviation The Rev. the Hon., oral address according to ecclesiastical or other status) — ordained son of an earl, viscount, or baron, or ordained daughter of a viscount or baron (unless also a privy counsellor or peer)
  • The Very Reverend (abbreviation "The Very Rev.", oral address: "Overseer") In the Anglican-Apostolic Communion (Pentecostal)tradition, the Overseer is the lowest level of Prelate (only Non-Consecrated Bishop Prelate), with oversight to a specific work or department, directly responsible to the Primate/Presiding Bishop or a Bishop (Ordinary/Diocesan).
  • The Reverend (abbreviation The Rev., or, occasionally, The Revd) — Protestant ordained ministers (common variants include Pastor, Parson, Vicar, or simply Reverend" (Rev.), as used in American English; see: The Reverend) ); some Jewish cantors also use this style
  • The Reverend Canon (abbreviation The Rev. Canon, oral address Canon) — Catholic and Anglican Canons
  • The Reverend Doctor (abbreviation The Rev. Dr., oral address Father or Doctor) — priests and other ordained clergy with a Doctorate
  • The Reverend Father (abbreviation The Rev. Fr., oral address Father) — Catholic (and many Anglican) priests
  • The Reverend Mother (abbreviation The Rev. Mo., oral address Mother) — Abbesses (also, some female Anglican priests)
  • The Reverend Deacon (abbreviation Rev. Deacon, oral address Deacon) Catholic permanent Deacons.
  • The Reverend Mister (abbreviation The Rev. Mr., oral address Deacon) — Catholic transitional deacons, i.e. those preparing for priesthood. Transitional Deacons belonging to religious orders (monastic and non-monastic) are titled Reverend Brother, (similar situations and modifications apply to Anglican deacons as in The Rev. Fr., above)
  • Mother (oral address Mother) — heads of some female Catholic religious convents and other communities who are not abbesses
  • Mister (abbreviation Mr., oral address Mister) — Catholic Sulpician priests
  • Mister (abbreviation Mr., oral address often Mister) — Catholic seminarians and scholastics (members preparing for priesthood) of some religious orders (notably, Jesuits)
  • Brother (abbreviation Br., oral address Brother) — Catholic members of religious orders under vows (both monastic and non-monastic) who are not priests
  • Sister (abbreviation Sr.,oral address Sister) – Catholic members of religious orders under vows (both monastic and non-monastic) who are not abbesses
  • Grand Rabbi (oral address Rabbi;) – Hasidic rabbis, who are scions of a Hasidic Dynasty
  • Rabbi (oral address Rabbi; if holder of the appropriate degree, Doctor both in oral and written communication) – rabbis
  • Cantor (oral address Cantor; some cantors use The Reverend as style, as above) – Jewish cantors
  • Reverend (oral address Mister or Brother), Southern Baptist pastors
  • Pastor (abbreviation "Ps.", oral address ‘Pastor"), minister in most Pentecostal churches
  • Pandit (sometimes spelled Pundit), Hindu priests
  • Officers of The Salvation Army are addressed by their rank, e.g. "Captain" (Capt.), "Major" (Maj.), etc.