Holy Father

The Father of the Messiah

The Messiah prays to the Holy Father in John 17:11.

John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are].

Used by the pope of the Roman Catholic Church

The origin of the Roman Catholic title, according to a catholiceducation.org article by Jean-Claude Perisset, was "born" during the Investiture Controversy.

The qualifier “holy” underlines the spiritual dimension of this fatherhood exercised in the name of God; and we have already said that it does not imply a moral judgment on the person of the Pope. The expression “Holy Father” was born in the time of the controversy over lay investiture, and it seemed normal that in its becoming common usage in the acts of the chancery, the Roman Curia had then wished to underscore the spiritual and supernatural level of the mission of the Pope by adding the adjective “holy” — to defend implicitly the superiority of papal power over imperial power.

Hymns

Hymns containing Holy Father in their title or lyrics.

• Blest Creator of the Light
• Father, We Praise Thee
• Father, Who Dost Thy Children Feed
• For the Dear Ones Parted from Us
• HOLY FATHER, BLESS US
• HOLY FATHER, CHEER OUR WAY
• HOLY FATHER, GOD ALMIGHTY
• HOLY FATHER, GREAT CREATOR
• HOLY FATHER, HEAR MY CRY
• HOLY FATHER, IN THY MERCY
• HOLY FATHER, THOU HAST GIVEN
• Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (Cullinan)
• Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
• O HOLY FATHER, WHO IN TENDER LOVE
• Wake the Song

See Also

Investiture Controversy

External Links

• Bible Study - The Holy Father
• Jesus revealed the Holy Father