It helps that the Church isn't shoulder-deep in the politics of every territorial entity in Europe any more. Three huzzahs for the Peace of Westphalia and the state system (except for all the terrible, terrible things about modern states, natch).
Used to be that the Church was the only thing keeping (or failing) to keep peace between feuding Christian rulers. They had a LOT of influence over the people who controlled big armies. Now? Well, there is always the possibility that the pope calling a crusade would cause a lot of angry Catholic ex-cartel fighters to go around beheading ISIS fighters.
Which was the case in part because the Church's level of control over various polities also helped prevent rulers from stabilizing control over their territories. That's not to say there weren't plenty of other factors, but the modern centralized state is a direct result of monarchs in Europe being able to tax their subjects and tell the Church's officials to GTFO of their policy-making.
How do you address female professors in English without knowing their marital status :S?
If they have a postgraduate degree, 'Dr. [familial name]'. If you aren't sure whether or not they do, the same. If you know that they don't have a doctorate, 'Professor [familial name]'. Unless they directly invite you to address them casually, in which case do so at your discretion (aka during class sessions and private meetings, not at a conference/large meeting/etc.).
It's always best to play safe with academics; in the first case, you don't know whether they're prideful in their accomplishments so it's best to act as if they do and pander; in the second, the same except that if they don't have a doctorate they'll usually be flattered because it's an implicit statement of respect for their knowledge; in the third it's a sign of trust and openness, and if you don't go along you'll likely come off as formal and possibly a bit standoffish, which will probably level out to neutral.
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Topic: Things that made you go "WTF?" today o_O (Read 14917884 times)