Atheists, would you call the Pope Your Holiness?

Of course. Just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I need to be disrespectful. If I were to refuse, it would simply perpetuate the myth that atheists are egotistical, insensitive, and immoral.

For the record, as a waitress I used to wait on a priest every day at breakfast. I always addressed him as Father, and the nuns as Sister.

Christians wouldn't, in a billion years. Which is why many atheists would. They celebrate Christmas, the invention of 'popes', anyway.

It should be noted that Christians recognise all legitimate institutions and their representives, but do not accept the cult of Rome, or any authority that it might be accorded, as Christian or as of any validity. But others should note that the 'papacy' has no valid earthly claims, and there is no sound reason for giving it any recognition. The world's media will pay very heavily for its unquestioning recognition of this cowboy institution, which has been more or less sociopathic at any time. So take that into account, and be very careful what words you use. They are all recorded. Remember, life is dangerous.

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While you have a lot of good answers here, I see many answers that admit that people don't respect those not of their beliefs. As a Catholic, if I met the holy leader of another religion, I'd address that person by their title as a form of respect. Not believing in a religion does not mean one should be disrespectful or rude!

Those who answered like Sean and Red Queen have my gratitude and respect.

I would call him Your Holiness, just as I would call the Dalai Lama Your Holiness and the Queen Your Majesty and a judge Your Honour. It's a term of respect, and I would be respectful to all of these people even though none of them is the head of my church.

No, he is just another guy, nothing remarkable about him to do so... I´m an atheist, and yet would do it if the pope was still jonh paul the II, quite different fellow... But I´d curse him for being a hippocrite about condoms while there´s a lot of people diying of aids eacch year.

No, I would not address him as Your Holiness because in my view that would be hypocritical. He's about as holy as my cat. Except my cat is probably holier.

I would call him Benedict, because that is his name. And then I would ask him why he doesn't sell the Vatican and give the money to the poor, the raving hypocrite.

Having read about the previous holders of his post, I find it ludicrous that anyone sees him as holy in the first place. Thieving, murdering scandalous hypocrits like the Borgias were Popes, look them up it is appaling what they did in the name of the Catholic Church. Is Benedict any different? What did the Pope do to help the Jews during the second world war ? I mean "before" it was obvious that the Nazi's would lose!

I'm an Agnostic, but if I was an atheist i'd still address him his holiness, as i said address a muslim as a minister...

although you may not agree with their religions, you got to respect their beleifs.

Just like any other authority figure, I would show him the respect of using his title. Just like the president, even if I don't like him or his policies, I still respect him and the office he holds.

I would also show respect to high ranking Muslim religious leaders.

The odds of the Pope and I being in the same spot and me being able to speak to him?

About 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 : 1

But if it were to happen, yes I'd address him as such. It's a title he earned. Just as a Judge, Dr., Prince, King, or Queen.

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