What did Stephen Cottrell say? Archbishop of York sparks controversy with Lord's Prayer comments

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, recently made suggestions about the opening verses of the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament. He claimed that the verses, that have been recited by millions of Christians for over 2000 years may be “problematic” because it advocates for patriarchy. He said this during his opening address at a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body called General Synod, which happened over the weekend.

According to Stephen Cottrell, the very words "Our Father" at the beginning of the prayer, which are based on Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 may appear controversial. According to The Guardian, he said that he was aware that the word "father" was problematic for some people.

“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 labored rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life,” Cottrell said.

The archbishop’s claim earned him backlash from his own community as well as devotees, while some celebrated his comments.

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Stephen Cottrell spoke against discrimination existing within the Church of England

Aside from claiming that the words “Our Father” are “problematic,” Stephen Cotterell, the Archbishop of York also said a few things. He went on to mention how the need to focus on unity has become important, now more than ever. He advocated for equality among one and all and pledged to resolve the issues of s*xuality and identity existing within the Church of England for many years now.

He also asked his community to focus more on the word “our” rather than “father” and try to be more "brotherly and sisterly" in all their future acts and decisions. As per The Guardian, he addressed the members of the synod.

“We remain stubbornly unreconciled, appear complacent about division, and often also appear all too ready to divide again. We have got used to disunity. We think it’s normal when in fact, it is a disgrace, an affront to Christ and all he came to give us,” Cottrell said.

His speech received criticism from the likes of Canon Dr. Chris Sugden, a chairman of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group. He called out Stephen Cottrell by pointing out that Jesus urged his 12 apostles in the Holy Bible to pray to “Our Father.” He also questioned whether the Archbishop of York was hinting that Christ was wrong or that he wasn’t really aware of the world around him.

He added it seemed like an emblematic approach of church leaders to "take cues from culture" instead of scripture.

Echoing a similar spirit, Free Church of England Deacon Father Calvin Robinson told Fox News that Stephen Cottrell’s speech was against everything that the Church of England stood for.

He said that they called it the "Lord's Prayer" as it was the prayer given to them by the Lord, who taught them to pray it. Father Robinson also added that they referred to God as "our Father" because it was how he had "instructed" them to address him.

Not only that, he also demanded that Stephen Cottrell steps down as he “appears lost” and asked everyone to “pray for him.”

“He (Stephen Cottrell) is in no position to lead the Church; he is leading the flock astray. The Bible has grave warnings against such people," Father Robinson noted.

Father Robinson wrapped up by saying how any man or woman who attempts to remove “our father from the Our Father” should be directly asked as to whose side he or she is on. His parting words were:

“There is nothing problematic about calling God our father. It seems there is plenty problematic with the Church of England.”

In contrast, Reverand Christina Rees spoke in favor of Stephen Cottrell. She said that someone finally “put his finger on an issue that’s a really live issue for Christians and has been for many years.” Reveran Rees is an advocate for better representation of women in the Christian community and for appointing more female bishops.

“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," she said in support of Stephen Cottrell's statement.

Another Synod member Reverend Dr. Ian Paul however took a neutral stand. On one hand, he supported Stephen Cottrell’s claim that some people find the term “Father” difficult because of their own life experiences. However, he also said that’s how “Jesus reveals God to us” and that humans are “not at liberty to reject this clear and consistent teaching of Scripture.”

Earlier, in the month of February, the Church of England suggested that it will reconsider whether to stop referring to the Lord as “he.” They would be reconsidering as many members of the community requested the use of gender-neutral terms and pronouns inside the church.

Back then, the Church of England went on record to launch a commission on gendered language. They told the press that Christians have recognized "since ancient times that God is neither male nor female." They added that despite this, the variety of ways of describing and addressing God that was found in scripture weren't always reflected in the worship.

One of the most discriminatory issues within the Church of England has been same-s*x marriage. This was addressed at the start of 2023 when it agreed to offer services and blessings to homos*xual couples after they undergo civil weddings. However, so far, it hasn’t been implemented. In fact, the issue of celibacy for same-s*x couples has been postponed until November.

For those unaware, the primary goal of the General Synod is to unite the members of the Anglican Church and discuss issues affecting it, introduce new forms of worship, and suggest new laws to govern the church.