Holiness (style)

The title His Holiness is an official title or style referring to leaders in a number of religious traditions. It is used to refer to the Pope in Roman Catholicism; this use can be traced back several hundred years. It is also an official title for Oriental Orthodox patriarchs. It is used to refer to religious leaders in Islam, Buddhism, and Bon. Buddhist leaders referred to this way include the Dalai Lama, the Menri Trizin, and Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras, among others.