There are few dogmas of the Catholic Church that have appeared more scandalous to non-Catholic believers than papal infallibility. Consider, for example, this reflection from Protestant apologist Matt Slick in…
Why do Catholics call their priests “Father” when Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel:
“Call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven.” (Matt 23:9)
This question can become a point of contention between Catholics and evangelical Christians. Not a few non-Catholics take this verse in its most literal sense, and so they contend that Catholics are acting in disobedience to Jesus by calling their priest named Jim, for example, “Father Jim”.
In objection to this Catholic discipline, Matthew 23:9 is quoted. Of course, Catholics recognize that Jesus is speaking with hyperbole here, and is making it clear that the Almighty Father is the eternal prototype of all fathers, the eternal Giver of Life (Consider also in this passage that Jesus also says to call no man “teacher”, so to be consistent…).
Almost five years ago I re-committed my life to Jesus Christ after a powerful experience in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and returned to the Catholic Church after a several years of absence and skepticism.
One afternoon, not long after my re-version to Catholicism, I found myself in a conversation trying to defend Catholic tradition and in particular, the papacy, to an evangelical Protestant friend. I failed miserably. Although I was still filled with a kind of “new convert zeal” I just couldn’t find the words to answer his questions and objections sufficiently on the spot. It was a deflating experience.
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