Manhattan ultraliberal church holding gay-friendly mass criticized for ‘God is Trans’ exhibit
‘They’re trying to push the agenda on others’: Manhattan ultraliberal church that holds a gay-friendly mass every Sunday is criticized for hosting the ‘God is Trans’ exhibit
- ‘God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey’ is hosted at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle
- The church is known for its progressive beliefs, including a “gay-friendly” mass
- Some parishioners found the gender-based display inappropriate
A notoriously liberal Catholic church in Manhattan divides parishioners with a “God is Trans” art exhibit, leading a believer to suggest they’ve forced an agenda on them.
The Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan is promoting an exhibit called “God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey.”
The church is known for its embrace of the LGBTQ+ community and has in the past promoted a “gay-friendly” 5 p.m. Mass on Sundays, according to the New York Times.
Some who go to church regularly told the New York Post that including gender ideology in an exhibition was a step too far.
“The church shouldn’t be promoting this,” said one parishioner. “I understand that there are transgender people. I pray for all people, but enough is enough.’
The church is known for its embrace of the LGBTQ+ community and has in the past promoted a ‘gay-friendly’ 5pm Mass on Sundays
The churchgoer added that a priest refused to explain to anyone who questioned the display.
“It seems they are trying to force the agenda on others,” they said. “You can’t put this on the altar and then hide. That’s what gets the church in trouble.”
Artist Adah Unachukwu created the exhibition that attempts to show how faith and gender identity intersect.
“God is Trans charts the queer spiritual journey at three key points: sacrifice, identity, and community,” the play begins.
As a sacrifice, parishioners are asked to “shed an old life and an old personality in order to concentrate on your spiritual need.” There is no devil, only past selves.’
Identity is the most impactful part of the exhibition. ‘What does holiness look like? What does your god look like? Are those two images that can be put together?’
It ends with Communion which “completes the spiritual journey, placing God and mortal on the same plane to converse with each other.” This part of the installation is about a spiritual home and the ways we can achieve this home in our daily lives.’
The paintings are somewhat abstract, but seem to show where the personal meets the spiritual, as people young and old are portrayed as intertwined with traditional sacred imagery.
The Church of St. Paul the Apostle is known as an ultra-liberal Catholic church in Midtown Manhattan
The parish has in the past clashed with Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York when she went against Vatican teachings on the LGBTQ+ community
Some regular churchgoers said including gender ideology in an exhibition was a step too far
The Roman Catholic Church opposes gender ideology, but leaves room for each parish to have their own opinion on the transgender community.
The parish has clashed with Cardinal Dolan of the New York Archdiocese in the past when she went against the Vatican’s teachings on the LGBTQ+ community.
The Archdiocese of New York and Unachukwu did not respond to requests for comment.
While one churchgoer opposed the exhibition, Cherri Ghosh, 80, had a very different take on the exhibition.
“I don’t understand the art, but this church is very liberal, that’s why I like this church,” she told the Post. “They’re really in the present when others aren’t.”