The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MONSIGNOR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
O
N
S
I
G
N
O
R
More clues leading to the result MONSIGNOR
- Priest‘s sermons ignored, somewhat
- Prelate finds new character in Othello
- Unexpectedly sing Moon River for somebody in church
- Inn room’s roughly accommodating good person high up in church
- Clergyman‘s extract from sermon’s ignored
- Priest, and character in 23
- Quixote’s battle over name appearing in Russian?
- My French Italian gentleman’s address in the Vatican
- Note emblem held by North African dignitary
- High priest tuned morsing without playing
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Clergyman" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clergyman = monsignor.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MONSIGNOR mean?
MONSIGNOR noun- An ecclesiastic title bestowed on some Roman Catholic clerics by the Pope