Over the weekend, Manhattan’s Church of the St. Paul the Apostle’s new art display “God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey” caused surprise and anger from some of its parishioners who believe exhibiting the display runs afoul of the Roman Catholic Church’s position on the transgender ideology, the New York Post reported.
One parishioner told the New York Post that St. Paul the Apostle shouldn’t be promoting transgenderism within the church. The parishioner said the trans movement is attempting to force its agenda on everyone else.
The art display, created by Adah Unachukwu, depicts the “Queer Spiritual Journey” as having three steps: Sacrifice, Identity, and Communion. The Sacrifice step in the display shows shedding one’s old life. The Identity step, which is described as “the most impactful part,” asks what holiness looks like. The final step, Communion, shows God and mortals “on the same plane.”
But because this is a very liberal parish in very liberal Manhattan, not all of the parishioners objected to the church allowing the trans display to be exhibited.
One 80-year-old parishioner told the New York Post that the reason she loves the church is because it is “very liberal.” She said St. Paul the Apostle Church is often “present” when other churches aren’t.
Another parishioner argued that the church has accepted the “queer community” for a long time, adding that it was “wonderful” to have the trans display at his “wonderful church.” He said the Church of St. Paul the Apostle is a “place to question one’s own path.”
When asked to comment on the controversy, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York said he was not aware of the display.
The Roman Catholic Church opposes transgender surgery and maintains that a person’s gender is determined before birth. However, the Vatican concedes that the position could vary in different parishes.
