Is it illegal to use honours before and after names falsely?

Question

I'm interested in this as a business colleague of mine uses -

Sir ... KCT, JP in his title and uses this officially as his business name and through communications.

What I thought was strange is that he claimed to have been knighted by the pope in Rome - obviously rubbish.

Answer 1

The Popes used to grant knighthoods and noble titles, but they gave it up a long long time ago - the last papal count was the Irish singer John McCormack, back in the 1920s! So he's obviously lying there.

"KCT", standing for "Knight Commander of the Temple", is a rank in American Freemasonry. He may very well be a KCT, but that's not a "real" title and it is absurd to use it professionally. (It may well be against Masonic rules of propriety, also.)

So from every point of view, this man is a dishonest pillock. I suggest you distance yourself from him as much as you can, in case people think that you, being his associate, are like him.

Answer 2

Papal knighthood does not permit a British Subject to use the honorific of Sir.

His use of the title is I think not illegal but it is a breach of etiquette and could be illegal if used as a means of fraud

Answer 3

I don't think it's illegal, per se, but itdoesn't fall into the boundries of good ettiquite.  You're not supposed to address youself as Sir suchandsuch, kct, jp.  In written format, it would be firstname lastname, KCT, JP.  He would be addressed by others as Sir firstname.

I think one can be a knight of the church?  I don't know if it comes with the honorific Sir though.

Miss Manners would be a good source for specifics, as would Emily Post.

Answer 4

It is illegal to use honorifics that aren't earned,but you are mistaken in your belief that Catholics don't have knighthoods.

Catholics do have religious knighthoods;I am Catholic and am acquainted with members of The Knights of Columbus.My acquaintances do not use "Sir" though,just the initials after their names.

It IS possible to be knighted by the pope,as well,so it isn't rubbish as you say. Here is the link so you can learn something about Catholic Vatican Orders of Knighthood.

http://www.chivalricorders.org/vatican/m...

Catholic knighthoods are still given out by the pope.

Answer 5

Depends on what country you are in.  I don't think any level of government in the states cares if you give yourself a title unless you use it to defraud people somehow.  If you went around claiming to be a knight in the UK there could be trouble.