We Episcopalians/Anglicans love our particular language and being all cryptic-like with the stuff we write (yours truly being the exception, of course). Whereby hangs a tale of little plus…
We Episcopalians/Anglicans love our particular language and being all cryptic-like with the stuff we write (yours truly being the exception, of course). Whereby hangs a tale of little plus signs (+).
There is a not-terribly-secret code, or shorthand, that plus signs are used in in relationship to clergy in the Anglican world (I’m not sure if the same holds true for Catholics or other hierarchical types). You’ll see names written with plus signs in front of or behind them, sometimes more than one sign. You’ll also see clergy signing their names with little plus signs. Which raises the issue of what it all means.
Well, in this context, the plusses are not “positive thinking” but little crosses. And the basic code seems to be:
Fred+ = Rev. Fred, a priest.
+Fred = Right Rev. Fred, Bishop of Someplace.
++Fred = Most Rev. Fred, Archbishop of a Province or Equally Significant Area.
Sometimes, in the Anglican world, you’ll also see three plusses, i.e., “+++Fred,” which would indicate that Fred is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
So folks will talk about, on all those Episcopal blogs, “Armstrong+” for Don Armstrong, or “+O’Neill” for Rob O’Neill, the Bishop of Colorado, or “++KJS” for Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. (Interestingly, a number of more conservative writers will leave off the plusses when referring to her, to indicate they don’t think she’s a real bishop, either because she’s a raving heretic or she’s a woman or both. It seems a petty snipe.)
And, of course, you have +++Rowan, the Archbishop of Canterbury (a/k/a the ABC). And, in keeping with the old “Princes of the Church” model, you sometimes hear (especially in the Church of England) bishops referred to by their See, so “York” for the Archbishop of York (don’t know as I’ve seen that in the Episcopal Church). And, to make it all Latinate, you’ll not infrequently see the ABC referenced as “Cantuar,” which is the Latin name for Canterbury.
I’ve been sorely tempted to do this plus-sign stuff, just ’cause (a) it’s kind of cryptically cool, and (b) it’s shorter than writing all those titles. But it’s maybe … too insider shorthand.
(And this has been not easy to research, since Google doesn’t let you, y’know, search for “+”.)
And, while I’m deciphering Episcospeech, you will also see (including here) both the “old” abbreviation for the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA) and the new official shorthand of the Episcopal Church (TEC). About which I’ve previously blogged, but I understand how it can be difficult to tell your players without a program …
So there you have it — the “secret code.” Any questions?
