Church of England clergy have reportedly been told to make changes to popular Christmas carols to avoid “causing unnecessary offence”.
A whistleblowing vicar has claimed that priests throughout England have been urged to modify Advent hymns and Christmas carols, The Telegraph reports.
According to the broadsheet, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel was identified as being potentially offensive for suggesting that other religions are “outside of God’s grace”.
Additionally, Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending had been flagged for containing “problematic words” because it affirms that Jesus Christ is the “true Messiah”.
In an email sent out to the diocese in Birmingham, priests were reportedly told: “Try to use language that won’t add further confusion or tension or take away anything from the good news of the Nativity.”
The Church of England has come under criticism in recent years for promoting woke ideology rather than focussing on the Gospel. For example, last year, the CoE launched a project to discuss the potential use of so-called “gender neutral” language in reference to God.
Last year, the General Synod, the legislative body of the Church of England, also voted in favour of recognising gay marriages by allowing priests to give blessings to same sex couples.
