A leading figure in the Church of England told the General Synod that ‘Our Father’ has patriarchal connotations

The Lord’s prayer is “problematic” due to the “oppressively patriarchal” reference to “Our Father”, the Archbishop of York has suggested.

The opening words of the Lord’s prayer, which have been recited by Christians for around 2,000 years, were deemed divisive during a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body.

The Archbishop of York said: “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.”

He later added: “We remain stubbornly unreconciled, appear complacent about division, and often also appear all too ready to divide again […] We have got used to disunity."

Reverend Christina Rees, who campaigned for female bishops, stressed the Archbishop “put his finger on an issue that’s a really live issue for Christians and has been for many years”.

She 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 Church of England was left divided in February after Lambeth Palace decided to launch a commission on gendered language.

https://www.gbnews.com/news/church-news-lords-prayer-problematic-patriarchal-stephen-cottrell