Religious Names and Titles

When establishing authorized access points for religious figures, special instructions apply to religious titles, ranks, term of address, etc., that are recorded as part of the authorized access point.

1) When to add a religious title

Generally, if a person of religious vocation is known under his/her given name, and a religious title, religious rank or term of address commonly appears with the name in resources associated with the person, add the religious title to the authorized access point for the person as a designation associated with him or her (RDA 9.4.1.8.) Add the title, even if it is not needed to distinguish access points representing different persons with the same name. In case of doubt, add the title (RDA 9.19.1.2.3).

Add the title in the subfield c directly following the given name. Apply the capitalization rules of the relevant language (RDA Appendix A).

Examples (in MARC format):

100 0 Gennadiĭ, ǂc otet︠s︡, ǂd 1948-1997

400 0 Геннадий, ǂc отец, ǂd 1948-1997

400 1 Ogryzkov, Gennadiĭ, ǂd 1948-1997

400 0 Gennadiĭ, ǂc Father, ǂd 1948-1997

670 Otet︠s︡ Gennadiĭ, 1999: ǂb title page (отец Геннадий = otet︠s︡ Gennadiĭ) page 5, etc. (... Геннадию Огрызкову = Gennadii︠u︡ Ogryzkovu; born May 31, 1948 in Mikhaĭlov (Russia); died April 7, 1997)

[Note that, in this case, the religious term of address “otet︠s︡” appears with the name -- otet︠s︡ Gennadiĭ -- while no resources have been published under secular name “Ogryzkov”; accordingly this person is entered under given name and religious title.]

BUT:

100 1 Kuraev, Andreĭ

400 0 Andreĭ, ǂc otet︠s︡

400 1 Кураев, Андрей

400 1 Kuraev, Andreĭ Vi︠a︡cheslavovich

670 Vse li ravno kak veritʹ, 1994: ǂb t.p. (diakon Andreĭ Kuraev) verso t.p. (dekan filosofsko-bogoslovskogo fakulʹteta Pravoslavnogo universiteta, diakona Russkoĭ Pravoslavnoĭ T︠S︡erkvi o. Andrei︠a︡ Kuraeva) introd. (o. Andrei︠a︡)

670 Missionerskiĭ krizis Pravoslavii︠a︡, 2010: ǂb t.p. (protodiakon Andreĭ Kuraev)

670 Podni︠a︡tʹ Rossii︠u︡ s kolen!, 2014: ǂb t.p. (Андрей Кураев = Andreĭ Kuraev) colophon (Кураев Андрей Вячеславович = Kuraev Andreĭ Vi︠a︡cheslavovich)

[Most works by this person are published under the name “Andreĭ Kuraev”, whereas the name “otet︠s︡ Andreĭ” appears only occasionally in resources associated with him; accordingly, the former form is used as authorized form. Note that the religious titles “diakon” and “protodiakon” are additions to the full name (as opposed to the given name alone) and are therefore not added]

2) Language of the religious title

When recording a religious title as part of the authorized access point, the rank of a religious figure usually determines the language of the title.

Basically, a title for lower rank clergy, like deacons, priests, archimandrites, monks, etc., should be recorded in the language in which it was conferred, or in the language of the country in which the person resides. (see RDA 9.4.1.8 Other Persons of Religious Vocation).

A cataloger can also add a variant access point with the religious title translated into English, if there is a satisfactory equivalent.

Examples (in MARC format):

100 0 Makariĭ, ǂc arkhimandrit, ǂd 1951-

400 0 Makariĭ, ǂc Archimandrite, ǂd 1951- [equivalent in English added]

400 0 Макарий, ǂc архимандрит, ǂd 1951-

400 1 Veretennikov, Makariĭ, ǂd 1951-

400 1 Veretennikov, Petr Ivanovich, ǂd 1951-

670 Moskovskiĭ mitropolit Makariĭ i ego vremi︠a︡, 1996: ǂb t.p. (архимандрит Макарий (Веретенников) = arkhimandrit Makariĭ (Veretennikov)) t.p. verso (arkhim. Makariĭ Veretennikov)

670 Zhiznʹ i trudy svi︠a︡titeli︠a︡ Makarii︠a︡ ... 2002: ǂb t.p. (arkhimandrit Makariĭ (Veretennikov)) p. 512 (Veretennikov Petr Ivanovich; b. November 19, 1951 in Magnitogorsk)

[The religious title “arkhimandrit” always appears in Russian in connection with the person’s name; accordingly it should be recorded as is, as is the case here]

100 0 Li︠u︡bushka, ǂc blazhennai︠a︡, ǂd 1912-1997

400 0 Любушка, ǂc блаженная, ǂd 1912-1997

400 1 Lazareva, Li︠u︡bovʹ Ivanovna, ǂd 1912-1997

400 0 Li︠u︡bovʹ, ǂc blazhennai︠a︡ starit︠s︡a, ǂd 1912-1997

400 0 Li︠u︡bushka, ǂc Susaninskai︠a︡, ǂd 1912-1997

670 Li︠u︡bushka, 2007: ǂb t.p. (Любушка; ... блаженной старицы Любови (Лазаревой) = Li︠u︡bushka; ... blazhennoĭ starit︠s︡y Li︠u︡bovi (Lazarevoĭ)) verso t.p. (... blazhennoĭ starit︠s︡e Li︠u︡bovi Ivanovne Lazarevoĭ) p. 5 ("stolpnit︠s︡a i strannit︠s︡a, i︠u︡rodivai︠a︡ Khrista radi i prorochit︠s︡a ... ; mnogie znali ee pod imenem blazhennoĭ Li︠u︡bushki, Li︠u︡bushki Susaninskoĭ") p. 10, etc. (b. Sept. 17, 1912, in the village of Kolodezi, Kaluzhskai︠a︡ gub., Russia; d. Sept. 11, 1997, in Vyshnevolot︠s︡kiĭ Kazanskiĭ monastyrʹ, Tverskai︠a︡ obl., Russia)

[The religious title “blazhennai︠a︡” has no exact equivalent in English; accordingly, no variant in English is added.]

Titles for high ecclesiastical officials - bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, abbots, etc., should be recorded in English, if there is a satisfactory equivalent, per RDA and LC-PCC PS 9.4.1.7: Record the title and the name of the see in English.

If a religious title in vernacular language is also available, record it in a variant access point.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Damaskin, ǂc Metropolitan of Zagreb, ǂd 1892-1969 [religious title in English]

400 0 Damaskin, ǂc Mitropolit Zagrebački, ǂd 1892-1969 [variant in Croatian added]

670 Hrišćanska vera i život, 1961: ǂb t.p. (Mitropolit Damaskin)

It should be noted that the Library of Congress Name Authority File contains many inconsistently constructed authorized access points for names of religious persons when religious titles are given in English instead of vernacular language, and vice versa. When such records are encountered, catalogers are strongly encouraged to examine the heading and change it to the correct form, if possible.

3) Titles for Saints

The title “Saint”, similar to other religious titles, is not a part of the name proper of a canonized person, and should be recorded as a designation associated with the person (RDA 9.2.2.18.1).

Authorized access points for saints should always include the term “Saint” in English. A variant access point for the term in vernacular language can be added, if available.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Sava, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1169-1237

400 1 Nemanja, Rastko, ǂd 1169-1237

400 0 Sabba, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1169-1237

400 0 Sava, ǂc Saint, Abp. of Serbia, ǂd 1169-1237 ǂw nnaa

400 0 Savva, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1169-1237

400 0 Sveti Sava, ǂd 1169-1237 [incorrectly constructed access point with the term “Saint” interpreted as being part of the name proper]

400 0 Sava, ǂc Sveti, ǂd 1169-1237 [variant in Serbian added]

670 Vučković, J. Sveti Sava, arhiepiskop srpski i prosvetitelj, 1902: ǂb t.p. (Sveti Sava, arhiepiskop)

670 Opća enc. Jug. leks. zav., vol. 7, 1981: ǂb p. 306 (Sava Nemanjić; b. 1175, d. 1235 in Trnovo; Rastko [nickname] Nemanjić)

The rule for not adding the term “Saint” as an element of the name proper of a canonized person should also be applied to nobility and names of persons known primarily by their last secular names.

Examples (in MARC format):

100 1 Kalinowski, Rafał, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1835-1907 [person known mostly by his last name]

400 1 Kalinowski, Joseph, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1835-1907

400 1 Kalinowski, Józef, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1835-1907

400 1 Kalinowski, Rafał, ǂd 1835-1907 ǂw nne

400 1 Kalinowski, Raffaele, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1835-1907

400 1 Kalinowski, Raphael, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1835-1907

670 Bender, R. Powstaniec ... 1977 (subj.) ǂb t.p. (O. Rafał Kalinowski) p. 9 (b. 9/1/1835)

670 Podr. encykl. powsz. ǂb (d. 1907)

670 Gil, C. O. Rafał Kalinowski, 1979: ǂb t.p. (Rafał Kalinowski) p. 11 (b. 9-1-1835 as Józef Kalinowski) p. 15 (11-26-1877 entered monastic life as Rafał) p. 17 (d. 11-15-07)

670 Praskiewicz, S.T. Raffaele Kalinowski, 1990.

670 Praskiewicz, S.T. Saint Raphael Kalinowski, 1994: ǂb CIP galley (Joseph Kalinowski, his secular name; canonized 1991)

100 0 Ludmilla, ǂc Duchess of Bohemia, Saint, ǂd 860?-921 [person known mostly by her noble title]

400 0 Ludmila, ǂc Duchess of Bohemia, Saint, ǂd 860?-921

400 0 Lidmila, ǂc Duchess of Bohemia, Saint, ǂd 860?-921

400 0 Ludmilla, ǂc Saint, ǂd 860?-921

670 nuc86-51770: Sborník staroslovanských literárních památek ... 1980 ǂb (hdg. on RPB rept.: Ludmilla, Duchess of Bohemia, 860?-921?; usage: sv. Lidmile)

670 LC data base, 3/20/87 ǂb (hdg.: Ludmilla, Saint, Duchess of Bohemia, 860?-921?; usage: sv. Ludmile; svaté Ludmily)

670 New Cath. encyc. ǂb (Ludmilla, St., b. c.860, d. Sept. 15, 921)

DO NOT add the term “Saint” to an access point that represents a pope or an emperor, empress, king, or queen. A variant access point for the royal person’s name with the term “Saint” can be added.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Vladimir, ǂc King of Dalmatia, ǂd -1015 or 1016

400 0 Jovan Vladimir, ǂc Saint, ǂd -1015 or 1016

400 0 Vladimir, ǂc King of Dalmatia, ǂd d. 1015 or 16 ǂw nnea

400 0 Vladimir, ǂc Saint, King of Dalmatia, ǂd -1015 or 1016

400 0 Vladimir, ǂc Saint, knez Zetski, ǂd -1015 or 1016

400 0 Vladimir, ǂc Saint, Prince of Zeta, ǂd -1015 or 1016

400 0 Joan Vladimiri, Shën, ǂd -1015 or 1016

670 Novaković, S. Prvi osnovi slovenske književnosti među balkanskim Slovenima, 1893.

670 Narodna encikl. srp.-hrv.-slov., 1925-1929: ǂb v. 4, p. 1112 (Vladimir, knez Zetski; d. ca. 1016; later sainted)

670 Holweck. Biog. dict. of saints: ǂb (Wladimir (John), King of Dalmatia; martyred 5/22/1015)

670 Sv. Jovan Vladimir, 1925: ǂb t.p. (Sv. Jovan Vladimir)

670 Miḱunoviḱ, M., Sveti Jovan Vladimir, 2012: ǂb p. 9 (his relics are located in Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro) p. 91 (Shën Joan Vladimiri)

4) Choice of religious title in case of multiple titles

Quite often a person of religious vocation holds several religious titles during his/her lifetime. How to decide which one should be added to a preferred form of name?

In such cases a cataloger should consider two things: 1) the degree of religious rank and 2) usage.

1) Several titles often reflect the person’s gradual promotion within the church. For example, Archbishop of Don and Novocherkassk Makarīĭ (1817-1894) was appointed during his lifetime to several dioceses and at different times of his life was known as: arkhimandrit (1852-1867), episkop Orlovskiĭ (1867-1876), episkop Nizhegorodskiĭ i Arzamasskiĭ (1879-1885), and finally, as arkhiepiskop Donskoĭ i Novocherkasskiĭ (1888-1894).

If the person has more than one title, give the one of highest rank, per RDA 9.4.1.7. Record other titles as variant access points.

Add to the title of a diocesan bishop, archbishop, or patriarch the name of that person’s latest diocese, archdiocese, or patriarchate.

Add the name of the place in a language preferred by the agency creating the data if there is a form in that language.

Add a variant access point with the name of the place in its vernacular language, if available.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Makarīĭ, ǂc Archbishop of Don and Novocherkassk, ǂd 1817-1894 [highest rank chosen as addition to authorized form of name]

400 0 Makariĭ, ǂc arkhiepiskop Donskoĭ i Novocherkasskiĭ, ǂd 1817-1894 [variant access point with the name of the diocese in Russian added]

400 0 Makarīǐ, ǂc Bishop of Nizhni Novgorod and Arzamas ǂw nne [earlier authorized access point for the previous, lower religious rank]

400 0 Makariĭ, ǂc episkop Nizhegorodskiĭ i Arzamasskiĭ, ǂd 1817-1894

400 0 Makariĭ, ǂc episkop Orlovskiĭ, ǂd 1817-1894

400 0 Makariĭ, ǂc arkhimandrit, ǂd 1817-1894

670 Kratkoe skazanīe ob Arzamasskom Nikolaevskom monastyri︠e︡ Nizhegorodskoǐ gubernīi [MI], 1885: ǂb t.p. (Makarīi︠a︡) p. [8] (Makarīem, episkopom nizhegorodskim i arzamasskim)

670 Tikhon. Arkhiepiskop Makariĭ (Miroli︠u︡bov), 2009: ǂb p. 7. etc. (Arkhiepiskop Makariĭ, Nikolaĭ Kirillovich Miroli︠u︡bov; b. Mar. 24, 1817, in Ri︠a︡zanskai︠a︡ gub.; ordained into monkhood in 1846; church historian, prof. in the Nizhniĭ Novgorod theological seminary (1846-1851), episkop Orlovskiĭ (1867-1876), episkop Nizhegorodskiĭ i Arzamasskiĭ (1879-1885), arkhiepiskop Donskoĭ i Novocherkasskiĭ (1888-1894); d. Dec. 24, 1894)

2) Sometimes several religious titles or terms of address refer to a person’s various assignments or status in a religious order.

If there is more than one such term, use the one that is most often associated with the name or the one that is considered to be more important (RDA 9.4.1.8). Record other titles as variant access points.

100 0 Rafail, ǂc Optinskiĭ staret︠s︡, ǂd -1957

400 0 Рафаил, ǂc Оптинский старец, ǂd -1957

400 0 Rafail, ǂc Hieromonk, ǂd -1957

400 0 Rafail, ǂc ieromonakh, ǂd -1957

400 0 Rafail, ǂc Optinskiĭ staret︠s︡, ǂd d. 1957 ǂw nnea

400 0 Rafail, ǂc otet︠s︡, ǂd -1957

400 1 Sheĭchenko, Rodion Ivanovich, ǂd -1957

670 Putʹ na nebo-- cherez Golgofu, 2005: ǂb t.p. (Оптинский старец Рафаил (Шейченко) = Optinskiĭ staret︠s︡ Rafail (Sheĭchenko)) p. 5 (otet︠s︡ Rafail (civil name Rodion Ivanovich Sheĭchenko)) p. 18 (ieromonakh Rafail (Sheĭchenko)) p. 25 (d. June 19, 1957)

[The Russian monk Rafail had various religious terms of address and titles during his life, such as “otet︠s︡” and “ieromonakh”; however, he became best known as “Optinskiĭ staret︠s︡” (i.e., an elder and hermit living in one of the distant monasteries in Optina pustyn’) and accordingly is entered with that title]

5) Secular names

A secular (or worldly) name is the name of a person who is not bound by monastic vows. Every person of religious vocation has a secular name given at birth that a person was known by prior to becoming consecrated to religious life.

If the preferred name for a person of religious vocation is the person’s name in religion, record the person’s secular name as a variant name (RDA 9.2.3.5.).

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Siluan, ǂc staret︠s︡, ǂd 1866-1938 [name used in religion recorded as preferred name]

400 0 Siluan, ǂc monk, ǂd 1866-1938 ǂw nne

400 1 Antonov, Simeon Ivanovich, ǂd 1866-1938 [secular name added as a variant]

400 1 Antonow, Simeon Iwanowitsch, ǂd 1866-1938

400 0 Silouane, ǂd 1866-1938

400 0 Silouanos ho Athōnitēs, ǂc Hagios, ǂd 1866-1938

400 0 Silouan, ǂc Saint, ǂd 1866-1938

670 Sofroniĭ, Archimandrite. Starez Siluan, 1959

670 O Hagios Silouanos ho Athōnitēs, 2011?

670 Wikipedia www site, 8 May 2013: ǂb Silouan the Athonite (Saint Silouan; Eastern Orthodox monk of Russian origin; born Simeon Ivanovich Antonov, in 1886, in Tambov Governorate, Russian Empire; at age of twenty-seven left his native Russia to become monk at Monastery of St. Panteleimon; died 24 September 1938 in Mount Athos, Greece)

There are plenty of examples, however, when a person of religious vocation preferred to be known under his/her secular name--for instance, Bible scholars or theologians who teach and publish extensively, and whose primary professional engagement is with the secular world.

If the preferred name for a person of religious vocation is the person’s secular name, record the person’s name in religion as a variant name (RDA 9.2.3.6).

Example (in MARC format):

100 1 Golitzin, Alexander [secular name recorded as preferred name]

400 0 Alexander, ǂc Hieromonk [religious name added as a variant]

400 0 Alexander, ǂc Bishop of Toledo [another religious name added as a variant]

670 Blum, R. The sacred athlete, 1990: ǂb CIP t.p. (Alexander Golitzin, Ph. D.)

670 On the mystical life, 1995- : ǂb v. 1, CIP title page (Alexander Golitzin) data Sheet (born 27 May 1948)

670 The Theophaneia school, 2007: ǂb p. vii, etc. (Hieromonk Alexander (Golitzin))

670 Mystagogy, 2013: ǂb title page (Alexander Golitzin) page 4 of cover (Alexander Golitzin; D. Phil., Oxford University; professor emeritus of patristics at Marquette University and a bishop in the Orthodox Church)

670 OrthodoxWiki, viewed on February 13, 2014 ǂb (Alexander (Golitzin) of Toledo; Bishop of Toledo (Orthodox Church in America) and the Bulgarian Diocese; consecrated Bishop of Toledo on May 5, 2012; taught at Marquette University from 1989 to 2012)

When religious and secular names appear intermittently in resources associated with a person, a cataloger should make every effort in determining the form of name preferred by the person.

Sometimes only the surname of the secular name is known, and the secular given name is not available. In that case record the surname alone as a variant access point. DO NOT add a person’s name in religion to a secular last name.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Arseniĭ, ǂc Hieromonk, ǂd 1958-2013

400 0 Арсений, ǂc Иеромонах, ǂd 1958-2013

400 1 Pisarev, ǂd 1958-2013 [secular first name is not available; record surname only; do not add name “Arseniĭ”]

670 Moskovskiĭ Sretenskiĭ monastyrʹ, 2014: ǂb t.p. (Иеромонах Арсений (Писарев) = Ieromonakh Arseniĭ (Pisarev))

It is not rare, however, to see a religious name being added to a secular surname, in the National Authority File, for example:

100 0 Rafail, ǂc arkhimandrit

400 1 Karelin, Rafail [religious name is added to a secular surname]

400 0 Рафаил, ǂc архимандрит

670 Rafail, arkhimandrit. T︠S︡erkovʹ i mir na poroge Apokalipsisa, 1999: ǂb t.p. (архимандрит Рафаил (Карелин) = arkhimandrit Rafail (Karelin))

This practice is wrong, as religious and secular names reflect alternate identities of a person, and they should not be mixed. The name that was chosen by a person at ordination should not be added to his/her secular last name.

There is one exception when a secular surname can be added to an authorized access point for a religious figure whose religious name has been chosen as the preferred name. When it’s necessary to break a conflict between several persons with the same religious name, a secular last name can be added to an authorized access point as a qualifier in subfield ǂq. In this case, the secular surname is treated as a fuller form of name.

Example (in MARC format):

100 0 Alipiĭ, ǂc arkhimandrit ǂq (Kastalʹskiĭ-Borozdin) [secular surname is added to break a conflict]

400 0 Alipiĭ, ǂc Archimandrite ǂq (Kastalʹskiĭ-Borozdin)

400 0 Алипий, ǂc архимандрит ǂq (Кастальский-Бороздин)

400 1 Kastalʹskiĭ-Borozdin

670 Dogmaticheskoe bogoslovie, 1999: ǂb t.p. (архимандрит Алипий (Кастальский-Бороздин) = arkhimandrit Alipiĭ (Kastalʹskiĭ-Borozdin)) p. 3 (taught Theology at the Moscow Orthodox Seminary in 1984-1988)

Please note that the order of the subfield ǂq in such cases is different from that of a regular qualifier for a fuller form of name.

Descriptive Cataloging Manual, Z1, 1XX Heading chapter instructs, that in “...exceptional situations, such as when subfield ǂa contains only a surname or only a forename or the name includes a prefix, etc. consult LC - PCC PS 1.7.1, section Access points for persons in name authority and bibliographic records, paragraph 3c”. That paragraph gives the instruction that in such cases, the access point should be constructed “according to the pattern: first element of the authorized or variant access point, words or phrases associated with the name (ǂc subfield), prefix, qualifier, date.”

Regular order of subfields: ǂa ǂq ǂc ǂd

Order of subfields when subfield ǂa contains only a forename: ǂa ǂc ǂq ǂd

6) List of common Slavic religious titles and their English equivalents

Here are some Slavic religious titles and their equivalents in English. Please note that often the true meaning of titles might not correspond exactly between different religious orders. So, this list is only a suggestion; use good judgement when supplying an English term in relation to a term in Slavic languages:

• arkhiepiskop = Archbishop

• arkhimandrit = Archimandrite

• episkop = Bishop

• ieromonakh = hieromonk

• ieroskhimonakh = also hieromonk, but one who has achieved the “Great Schema”

• igumen = abbot, sometimes senior monk

• ksiądz, frequently appears as “ks.” in front of name = Father, Reverend

• monakh = monk

• mitropolit = Metropolitan

• otet︠s︡, ojciec, otec, sometimes appears as letter “o.” in front of the name = Father, Reverend

• patriarkh = Patriarch

• skhimonakh = also monk, but one who has achieved the “Great Schema”

• staret︠s︡ = Elder

• svi︠a︡shchennik = priest, Reverend

See also: Fuller Form of Personal Name

Revised: Nov. 12, 2015