You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or email.
Envelope:
—– The Most Reverend
—– (Full Name)
—– Archbishop of (diocese)
—– (Address)
Letter salutation:
—– Dear Archbishop (Surname):
How to Address a Roman Catholic Archbishop
Your site says archbishops are addressed in conversation as ‘Archbishop (Name)’. Archbishops are NEVER addressed in conversation as ‘Archbishop So-and-So’. They are properly addressed as ‘Your Excellency’ or simply ‘Excellency’.
In Ireland, according to their custom, Bishops are addressed as ‘Your Grace’; however, even in this case, ‘Bishop’ is not used in conversation. Your book states only nuncios are referred to and addressed as ‘Excellency’. This is not the case.
—————– – SM in California
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
Dear SM in California:
‘Archbishops’ are ‘bishops’. Archbishops preside over an archdiocese. Bishops preside over a diocese. It’s a different type of bishop, but it’s still a bishop. The forms of address rules that apply to a ‘bishop’ are mirrored when addressing an ‘archbishop’. The next level up – Cardinal – does have a different form of address.
—- #1) Your Grace
—- —- Addressing the ranks of bishop as ‘Your Grace’ is a British form of address. In the Church of England all bishops are granted the precedence of a Duke … and dukes and thus by courtesy – Anglican bishops – are addressed as ‘Your Grace’. In the United States, the American branch of the church – the Episcopal Church in the USA doesn’t have an ‘archbishop’ – but addresses its Presiding Bishop as ‘the Most Reverend (Full Name)’ and other bishops as ‘the Right Reverend (Full Name)’. All bishops are addressed in conversation and in a salutation as ‘Bishop’ or ‘Bishop (Surname)’.
—- #2) Excellency
—- —- ‘His/Her/Your Excellency’ is a courtesy title used by accredited diplomats who have presented their credentials to a foreign head-of-state as the single designated representative from another head-of-state. The Papal Nuncio (who always has the rank of bishop) is addressed as ‘Your Excellency’ … but other bishops are not.
—- #3) The Most Reverend
—- —- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says U.S. Catholic bishops are correctly addressed as ‘the Most Reverend (Full Name)’ and ‘Bishop (Surname)’.
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___ What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.
—- #1) At right on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.
—- #2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.) Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.
—- #3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.