Salutations

I'm thinking of writing a letter to the Pope.  I didn't know how to begin.  What do you call him?  What is the appropriate salutation: "Dear Pope," "Dear Holy Father," "Dear Holiness...."?  It's a good thing I looked it up because you don't use "Dear anything."  BTW, when looking things up, use http://prolifeinternet.com/  all proceeds from using this search engine go to pro-life causes--and it's googled powered.

I digress.

According to Robert Hickey, who wrote Honor and Respect:
  
    The Holy Father is "so high" he is never introduced to anyone: individuals are presented to The Holy Father. He requires no introduction: anyone about to meet the Pope already knows who he is.Rather he is announced .... as he enters a room an aide says so all can hear  "His Holiness" ... and that's it.
     As to whether his name is ever used: Neither you, I, nor anyone else calls him Benedict ... he is addressed in conversation as "Your Holiness"
     This not using the name is also the rule for other very high officials.  For example, the Queen of the United Kingdom is never addressed as Queen Elizabeth ... she is always addressed as "Your Majesty"

This is covered on page 282 in Hickey's Honor and Respect.

It seems that the correct salutation in a letter to the Pope is "Your Holiness."  I feel so awkward greeting him like that.  I'd like to say, "Dear Holy Father."  But what do I know?

Yo, Pope Dude!