CV NEWS FEED // An art exhibit inside a “very liberal” New York City church has been removed following backlash from parishioners and the Archdiocese of New York, just one week after it initially made headlines.
Joe Bukuras Catholic News Agency reported Monday that
the exhibit, which “maps the queer spiritual journey” and claims that “there is no devil,” has been pulled following complaints from parishioners and “concern” expressed to the Paulist Fathers-run church by the Archdiocese of New York.
The controversial series of three paintings at St. Paul the Apostle on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was first brought to the attention of the greater Catholic community on Sunday, May 7. The paintings had already been in the church for an unspecified amount of time.
The “queer” art was located on the walls adjacent to the altar, right behind where the priest would consecrate the Eucharist. While some parishioners praised the exhibit, not all of them agreed. “It seems like they are trying to force the agenda on others,” said one, who also complained that priests refused to comment on the exhibit. “You can’t put this out on the altar and then hide.”
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, which is headquartered a few blocks from the church, was not aware of the exhibit until The New York Post brought it to his attention. The spokesman told the Post that the archdiocese would “look into” the display.
St. Paul had already garnered a reputation for promoting a left-wing political agenda and contradicting Church teachings on human sexuality.
As CatholicVote reported Monday, May 8:
The Church of Saint Paul the Apostle is highly controversial, especially for its “LGBTQ Ministry,” called “Out at St. Paul.” The group is known for mixing sacred seasons and symbols with the profane to advance the LGBTQ movement.
Out at St. Paul once posted a traditional painting of the Three Wise Men asleep together along with the suggestive text “Queer Epiphany: Three Kings or Three Queens?”
The group has also posted an image of the radical “gay rights” activist and politician Harvey Milk depicted with a halo, along with the headline “Harvey Milk, Pray for Us.”
In March 2022, this parish “ministry” also celebrated the so-called “Transgender Day of Visibility,” stating that it planned “to host events that will feature panel discussions on trans-affirming theology and health care” in the immediate future.
Celebrity priest Fr. James Martin, SJ, has promoted Out at St. Paul, calling it “one of the most vibrant Catholic #LGBT ministries in the country, perhaps the world,” and “a model for many parishes.”
