Why do Episcopalians and other catholic traditions call their clergy, “Father”? Below I am taking several different portions from an article that a fellow Anglican Priest, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Murphy wrote.
Jesus reproached the religious leaders of His day with some strong words about being called, "father," which sounds like this name is off-limits (to save space I will not be printing most of the scripture texts, but I would challenge you to read the passages in full for a better understanding of what is being written. - Fr. Tom - Matthew 23:1-12 ).
Jesus' words to His disciples on not calling anyone else "father" seems to make the catholic practice of addressing a priest as "father" completely unbiblical, and a proud and Pharisaic thing to do. At least, a straightforward reading of the text might lead us to think that (what some would call a "literal" reading).
The problem with such a reading of this text is that it would also prevent Christ's followers from calling their earthly male parent, "father." Jesus is pretty explicit: " . . .call no man your father on earth . . ." The same thing applies to teachers, of course. We would have to cease calling all teachers by that name--Jesus doesn't restrict it to religious teaching--if one takes this statement at face value. But, human society and the Church within it still need parenting and teaching. Of course, if we stopped using those terms altogether it would be very problematic, because then we wouldn't even be able to explain Who the heavenly Father is in relation to Jesus, or why Jesus alone is our Teacher, because those words would no longer apply to their earthly counterparts. No, Jesus wasn't teaching His disciples to stop using a name, a label, a way of referring to or addressing someone, whether "father" or "teacher." A literal reading of Jesus' words here just doesn't make sense.
We run into further problems when we read the Apostle Paul's comments to the Corinthians and Thessalonians (see I Corinthians 4:14 – 17 and I Thessalonians. 2:11-12 - "admonish you as my beloved children" and "we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children")
The early Christians followed Paul's pattern. The Aramaic word "abba" ("father" or many argue, "dad") (e.g., Romans 8:15; Gal. 4:6) is the source of the English word "abbot" which the Celts first used for the head of their monastic communities. The French "Abbe" is similar, common for a parish priest.
Oddly enough, the Christians that find it offensive to call the priest "father" routinely call their ordained church leader, "pastor." That term, however, is derived from the Latin word for "shepherd." Apparently, in their view, we have only one Father (as Jesus said) and so don't call their leader "father," but we have more than one shepherd. This is odd because Scripture is very clear on this:
The LORD is my shepherd . . . (Psalm 23:1)
But, its even more specific. At one point during the ministry of the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord rebuked the shepherds of Israel, His flock (Ezekiel 34:2), and later called David (as a type of the Messiah) the shepherd of his people (Ezekiel 34:23 and 37:24).
One Shepherd and yet we call our church leader “pastor” (shepherd)?
But, in fact, calling your church leader "Pastor" isn't wrong. For Christ is our "chief Shepherd" (see I Peter 5:1-4).
Peter commands the leaders of the Church in I Peter 5 to "shepherd" the people of God, yet they have a chief Shepherd. With pastors(shepherds), it isn't that God doesn't use humans to do that work--He does--but they are only obedient and beneficial as God's shepherds if there is a clear understanding of who the Real Shepherd is.
Isn't this, however, exactly the case with fatherhood? We have a physical father, yet only one heavenly Father. We may have a spiritual father as well, perhaps several, yet understood as utterly insignificant in light of our heavenly Father because such "fathers" are only by analogy.
So, why did Jesus say, "call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven"? For the same reason He said,
"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."(Matthew 5:29-30)
He was making a point, a strong one, about the seriousness of sin. But, if we took it literally we might wind up killing ourselves to keep from sinning! Repentance is what Jesus was getting at, not self-mutilation.
With giving our church leaders titles, whether "pastor", "teacher", or "father," Jesus' point is clear and driven home by the forceful way He expressed it: don't mistake anyone for the only Real Shepherd, Real Teacher, Real Father that you have.
I believe the best and first way to see a local church body is as a "family". Jesus talks of those that "do the will of his Father" as those who are his true family. We are "adopted" to be heirs with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Apostles in their writings also use family terms constantly: "household of faith", "brothers", "brotherly love", and "sons and daughters" of the Father God, being "children of God", etc. In scripture, it is also revealed that the biblical, communal love we have, is one of a close and intimate family.
Thus, as an Episcopalian clergyman (especially, in the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield), I am referred to as "Father" (and our women priests often referred to as "Mother"). I have a responsibility to guide, care for, walk with, and confront (and redirect) poor behavior for the betterment of each family member (and the greater parish family as a whole). I am also a shepherd, caregiver, and an authority figure regarding the centrality of Christ's teaching of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.
However, in my basic membership in the household of God, I am one family member in a local church of many members. We are all equally valuable in the eyes of God being created in the image of God and redeemed through the work of Christ. We have differing roles due to the gifting, calling, and passions given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord, but we are loved and saved together as the Body of Christ.
Thanks, be to God.