A progressive Catholic church in New York City has divided churchgoers with a new art display declaring, "God is trans[gender]."
The exhibit entitled "God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey" was displayed next to the altar at the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle in Manhattan on Sunday. Three paintings depicted the "queer spiritual journey" as "sacrifice, identity and communion."
One parishioner told the New York Post the church had gone too far in pursuing its liberal "agenda."
"The church should not be promoting this," the unnamed person told the outlet. "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."
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The person claimed that priests would not answer questions about the display. "You can’t put this out on the altar and then hide," they added. "That’s what gets the church in trouble."
However, other churchgoers voiced support for the exhibit.
Cherri Gosh, 80, told the Post she loves the church because it is "very liberal," even if she doesn't understand the exhibit. "They are really in the present when others are not," she said.
Bill O'Connor, 79, said he had been attending the church for decades and praised the church for its welcoming stance to the "queer community."
"This is a place of welcome," he added. "It’s also a place to question one’s own path."
In the artwork's accompanying text, artist Adah Unachukwu, who is a student at nearby Fordham University and intern for gay rights group GLAAD, connected gender identity to religion.
"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. Identity is the most impactful part of the exhibition. What does holiness look like? What does your god look like? Are these two portrayals that can be merged?" the exhibit asks.
Saint Paul the Apostle did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The liberal church declares in its mission statement that it welcomes everyone and holds programs for "young adults, LGBTQ Catholics, artists, returning Catholics and seekers." On the front page of its website, the progressive church also leads visitors to its program for LGBTQ Catholics called "Out."
The New York Times also previously profiled the "gay-friendly parish" which organizes "gay happy hours" and bar crawls, according to its social media.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a document in 2019 intended to address the Catholic Church's teachings on "gender theory" and "gender ideology." In it, a catechism describes God naming each human being as man and woman and that each of them "should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity."
