A high-ranking title given to certain Catholic priests or bishops as a sign of honor and respect by the Pope.
From Italian 'monsignore,' combining 'mon' (my) and 'signore' (sir/lord). The term comes from papal courts of medieval Italy where it was used to address important church officials with a formal, respectful title.
Monsignor literally means 'my lord' in Italian, and it's one of the few religious titles that sounds like a character name from a fancy opera—priests who get this title are essentially getting a Vatican 'sir' certification!
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