Pope Francis has announced temporary restrictions on granting the honorary ecclesiastical title "monsignor" to priests, in an effort to encourage humility among priests.
Until further notice, no diocesan clergymen, except those in the service of the Holy See, are to be promoted to any of the three honorary ranks that afford the title “monsignor”, the Vatican confirmed yesterday.
Diocesan priests over the age of 65 (previously it was 35) shall be eligible to become Chaplains of His Holiness, the lowest of the three remaining ranks of monsignors.
The other two levels, Protonotary Apostolic and Honorary Prelate, will be reserved to priests who work at the Vatican or in the Holy See’s diplomatic corps.
The Vatican normally grants these honorifics at the request of the local bishop.
In the United States bishops routinely make a dozen or more priests monsignori every year.
In September it emerged that Pope Francis had temporarily stopped the practice of naming priests "honorary prelates", which allows them to take the title "monsignor", shortly after his election – with the exception of clerics who work in the Holy See's diplomatic service.
He told officials the Secretariat of State he wanted the granting of such onorificienza to be put on hold at least until October, after he had met his group of eight cardinal-advisors to discuss reforming the Roman Curia and governance of the universal Church.
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