His Holiness
His Holiness is a style and form of address (in the variant form Your Holiness) for some supreme religious leaders. The title is most notably used by the pope, Oriental Orthodox patriarchs or Catholicoi, and Dalai Lama.
Christianity
His Holiness (Latin: Sanctitas) is the official style used to address the Roman Catholic pope and Oriental Orthodox Catholicoi/patriarchs. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople has the title of His All-Holiness (abbreviation HAH).
In February 2013, the Holy See announced that former Pope Benedict XVI would retain the style "His Holiness" after resigning and becoming pope emeritus.
The term is sometimes abbreviated to "HH" or "H.H." when confusion with "His/Her Highness" is unlikely. The associated form of address is "Your Holiness".
It is also used for certain other Eastern patriarchs, notably those who head a church or rite which recognizes neither Rome's nor Constantinople's primacy.
Other religions
The English language honorific "His Holiness", and as female version "Her Holiness", has commonly been used for religious leaders from other traditions, including Buddhism[1] (for figures such as Lu Sheng-yen, the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa, and the Je Khenpo in Bhutan), Shinto[2] in Ahmadiyya Islam for the Caliph and in Dawoodi Bohra sect of Ismaili Shia for esteemed office of Da'i Al-Mutlaq, Syedna.
Lhamo Thondup has been adopting the title His Holiness on the 14th Dalai Lama website [3]. Dalai Lama itself is a title created by Altan Khan.
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