I want to write letters with the same content but addressed to religious authorities of different religions and levels, from the local Christian priest to the Dalai Lama. Is there a greeting I can use for all of them or must I research the title for each letter recipent to ensure I am not offending them?
Learn English – Addressing religious authorities
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Best Answer
Good etiquette would require you research the appropriate style and form of address for each letter recipient. Different religious traditions recognize different clerical roles and hierarchies, and treating positions across those traditions as analogues is fraught with the risk of insult.
Moreover, there is considerable variation by role, denominational family, rank, gender, and even country— a Catholic bishop in the United States is The Right Reverend John Doe whereas his Irish counterpart would be The Most Reverend John Doe, for a basic example.
If you want to avoid all sectarian references, you have few options but to use very generic salutations (e.g. "Greetings" or "Sir/Madam") and hope that the recipient does not mind.