I'm very very sorry to hear that.
Why is it that Catholics (the ones that I know and have spoken to) claim to believe the Bible to be truth, but refuse to acknowledge those points that are so clear?
Do you think that verse was just kidding? Lying? What?
It's hyperbole. Jesus has no problem with you calling your male parent "Father", or "Dad", or anything similar. Neither does he evidently have a problem with calling a spiritual leader "Father," since St. Paul, writing under divine inspiration, calls himself exactly that in 1 Cor 4:15.
Jesus would rather you called nobody "Father" except God, however, if you're going to call people conspiring to kill him "Fathers". See the context of Mt 23:9.
>>Why is it that Catholics (the ones that I know and have spoken to) <<
Perhaps you have spoken to Catholics who do know that the Bible is the word of God, but also know that not every word is what it seems.
Jesus said He was a vine.
Jesus said He was a door.
He was not a shapeshifer.
Some things are like "spitballs".