IN the obituaries section of the BEN, you often say "the officiating clergy was Rev ...." Clergy is a collective noun and as such is inappropriate here. A better all-encompassing phrase would be "the
officiating minister was Rev ..." as "minister" probably means something to all faiths and is also neutral as far as gender is concerned.
Rev C A Bracegirdle
St Paul's Vicarage,
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article