'God is Trans' art exhibit at prestigious NYC Catholic church stirs mixed reactions

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (TND) — A prestigious Catholic church in Manhattan, which touts being the place where America's first order of Catholic priests was established, is under fire for exhibiting an art installation that appears to go against the church's teachings on gender identity.

The Church of St. Paul the Apostle has reportedly been exhibiting Adah Unachukwu's "God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey," which states that it "maps the queer spiritual journey by three significant points: Sacrifice, Identity, and Communion."

The installation has been exhibited next to a side altar dedicated to St. Agnes, The New York Post reported.

"The painting Sacrifice and its complementary act in the film speak to the need to shed an old life and personhood in order to be able to focus on your spiritual need. There is no devil; just past selves," a description of the exhibit reads. "Identity is the most impactful part of the exhibition," the description continues. "What does holiness look like? What does your god look like? Are these two portrayals that can be merged? Finally, Communion rounds out the spiritual journey, by placing God and the mortal on the same plane to speak to one another. This part of the installation is about a spiritual home and the ways we can achieve this home in our everyday lives."

Some parishioners were up in arms, particularly considering the art exhibit appeared to violate the Vatican's rulings against gender ideology, which called the notion that gender is fluid "a confused concept of freedom in the realm of feelings and wants," according to Vatican News.

"The church should not be promoting this," one angry parishioner told The Post. "I understand there are transgender people. I pray for all people but enough is enough."

"It seems like they are trying to force the agenda on others," the parishioner continued. "Also, when a friend asked a priest about this they didn't answer. You can’t put this out on the altar and then hide."

Others in Manhattan familiar with the Church of St. Paul attributed the move to a church that "is very liberal."

"I don't understand the art, but this church is very liberal, which is why I love this church," Cherri Ghosh, who went to St. Paul's on Sunday to view the exhibit, told The Post. "They are really in the present when others are not."

Another individual told The Post he had been attending St. Paul's for decades and thought the controversial art installation was "wonderful."

"The queer community has been accepted here for a long time now," the individual said, according to The Post. "It's wonderful having this here and a wonderful church."

The National Desk (TND) reached out to both St. Paul's and the Archdiocese of New York for comment on the backlash the art exhibit has received, but did not immediately hear back. If a response is received, this story will be updated.