I've just been watching an interview with a bishop (on a Catholic TV show). The host was addressing him in quite a familiar way. Which is fine, but I did find myself once again thinking: "I prefer it when people use their titles, and other people's titles."
There's no self-interest in this belief, since I have no title, unless it's "Mister".
It seems more suitable, and interesting, to address a Bishop as "Your Grace" rather than "Bishop", as the host was doing. (Although I've just seen that American bishops are generally addressed as "Your Excellency", and "Your Grace" is reserved for Archbishops-- which is interesting in itself.)
My job involves emailing academics a lot, and I greatly enjoy addressing them as Dr Such-and-Such or Professor What's-His-Face. They worked hard to get that title. (Even if they're a doctor of Media Studies or a Professor of Women's Studies or something.)
It's only a small thing, but I think it adds a little bit of colour to life.
When I was living as a Resident Don in University College, Durham (which is in Durham Castle) the dining was formal, at High Table, wearing gowns, and processing (while carrying a very large white napkin) from the Senior Common Room and into Hall down the ancient Black Oak staircase.
ReplyDeleteThe most senior academic of the college would preside (sit in the middle of the High Table, say Grace, be served first etc). In order of precedence (as I recall) these were Master, Vice Master and Senior Tutor, Bursar; and then (when these were all absent) whoever had been a Don for longest.
For the same reason that you give (i.e. because of the colour added to life) I would address the three officers by their college titles while dining, and when it was the most senior Don I would call them President.
One evening near the end of my time there, I re-enacted what I (but nobody else) knew was a scene from a CP Snow novel, by asking "Mr President, may I present a bottle of wine to the company?"
The President for that night (who didn't often get the chance to do this role, because there was usually somebody more senior present) seemed very pleased!
Ha! I love that story. And I'm glad you entered into the spirit. It must have been quite the sight to see you all processing into the dining hall.
DeleteI can never find the passage where C.S. Lewis describes an Englishman engaging in anything ceremonial: "He gives the impression that he feels like an enormous fool, and is ready to shoot anyone who says so." The same goes for this Irishman...