Very Reverend

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The Very Reverend is a style given to certain religious figures.

• In the Anglican Communion, the style is given to certain senior priests in a diocese. It is usually given to the senior priest of a cathedral, whether a dean or a provost, and regardless of whether or not the priest is rector of the cathedral's parish, or whether the cathedral is a parish church or not. In the Episcopal Church USA, the dean of a seminary or divinity school is given this title. The deans of dioceses in the Scottish Episcopal Church (who do not head a cathedral chapter) and the Anglican Church of Canada (who do) are also styled Very Reverend. Archdeacons are styled Venerable.
• In some churches with a presbyterian heritage, it applies to former Moderators of the General Assembly, such as
  • a former Moderator of the United Church of Canada,
  • a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and
  • a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. By custom, the Dean of the Chapel Royal, the Dean of the Thistle and (if a Church of Scotland minister) the Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews are also styled Very Reverend.
• In the Roman Catholic Church, by custom, priests who hold positions of notable authority above pastor of a parish, but who are not actual monsignors: e.g. vicars general, episcopal vicars, judicial vicars, vicars forane (deans or archpriests), provincials of religious orders, rectors of seminaries or colleges, priors of monasteries, for instance. Monsignors of the grade Papal Chamberlain were formerly styled as the Very Reverend Monsignor while Domestic Prelates and Protonotaries Apostolic were styled the Right Reverend Monsignor. Now, apart from legitimate custom or acquired right, most monsignors are simply styled the Reverend Monsignor.
• In the Eastern Orthodox Church, archpriests are addressed with this style.