Call no man Father?

Why do Catholics call their priests "Father"?. Does it not say in scripture to call no man father? Many non-Catholics believe that when Catholics do this, they are participating in a practice that Jesus condemned.

To understand what Jesus meant, we have to read 5 consecutive verses of Matthew which are 23:8-12: "But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The great among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be exalted."

When reading the above verses, we see that Jesus condemned the use of the word "father, "rabbi", and "instructor." Why? It is because the Jewish leaders "loved to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market places, and to have people call them rabbi." (Matthew 23:6-7). Jesus was condemning the Pharisees who were so full of pride. Their proud hearts were completely corrupt. The Pharisees had elevated themselves above God as the ultimate authorities, as father image and teachers. They failed to look up to God as the source of all authority, fatherhood, and teaching. Jesus was telling them to humble themselves and to stop seeking those titles for themselves.

It appears that the objection of some to calling a living man a spiritual father is because it equals a priest with God the Father. When Catholics call priests "father" we are saying that he is our spiritual father and he gives us our spiritual leadership. We are not elevating the priest to the level of God the Father. Catholics, of course, recognize the sovereign Fatherhood of God alone!!!!

There are many, many verses in Scripture in which the inspired writers call spiritual leaders "father". In Acts 7:2-4, Stephen refers to the ancestors of Abraham, the word "father" being used. In Philippians 2:22, Paul said, "But Timothy's worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." St. Paul refers to himself as the father of believers in 1 Corinthians 4:14-15, "I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the gospel.". The last example I will give you is 1 John 2:13: "I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one."

In Matthew 23 Jesus invokes us not to call anyone "teacher" or "master". Yet many non-Catholics have no problem calling someone "teacher" and use the word "doctor", which is Latin for "teacher".