During a meeting of major players in the Anglican Church, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell suggested that the words of the "Our Father," Christianity’s most prominent prayer, may be "problematic" because of their "patriarchal association."
Addressing church members, Cottrell acknowledged that the prayer, which Christ instructed his 12 apostles to pray in the New Testament, may bother those who have dealt with oppression stemming from their "earthly fathers."
The Church leader made his remarks during the General Synod, the primary gathering of the leading members of the Church of England where they discuss issues affecting the Anglican Church worldwide, promulgate new forms of worship and come up with new laws by which to govern the church.
Cottrell opened the General Synod with his unique perspective on the 2,000-year-old prayer saying, "I know the word ‘father’ is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have laboured rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life."
Reports noted that the archbishop’s remarks were part of a larger speech on unity within the church.
Cottrell’s "Our Father" comments sparked dissent among other speakers at the Synod, with chair of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group, Canon Dr Chris Sugden providing a public rebuttal to the archbishop.
Sugden accused Cottrell of following mainstream culture rather than Christ’s literal words in the Bible.
He asked, "Is the archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong, or that Jesus was not pastorally aware? It seems to be emblematic of the approach of some church leaders to take their cues from culture rather than scripture."
Female member of the General Synod, Rev. Christina Rees defended Cottrell’s stance. After Sugden’s speech, she told the assembly that Cottrell has "put his finger on an issue that’s a really live issue for Christians and has been for many years."
Rees added, "The big question is, do we really believe that God believes that male human beings bear his image more fully and accurately than women? The answer is absolutely not."
The Synod’s commentary on the Lord’s Prayer came months after the Church of England opened a "project on gendered language" used in prayer and in Scripture. The announcement suggested that church authority consider whether to do away with gendered "He," "Him" pronouns referring to God.
It also suggested Anglican leaders would consider whether "Father" is an appropriate title for God.
Free Church of England Deacon Fr. Calvin Robinson, a frequent Fox News guest and critic of the Anglican Church, slammed Cottrell’s speech in a recent Substack article.
He wrote, "We call it the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ because it is the prayer the Lord gave us. He taught us to pray it. We call God ‘Our Father’ because that is how he instructed us to address him."
He also advised the archbishop to step down, saying, "The Archbishop of York appears lost. We should pray for him. And in the meantime, he should step down. He is in no position to lead the Church; he is leading the flock astray. The Bible has grave warnings against such people."
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Robinson reiterated his point. He said, "God told us his preferred pronouns; he told us to call him our father. He taught us how to pray to him in the prayer we call Our Father. If any man attempts to remove our father from the Our Father, we must ask ourselves, whose side is he on?"
He added, "It seems the Church of England is intent on doubling-down in its latest heretical proclamations. For shame. There is nothing problematic about calling God our father. It seems there is plenty problematic with the Church of England."
The Church of England didn’t respond to a request for comment.
