The Religion of Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga’s religion and battles with the Catholic Church.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was a Roman Catholic schoolgirl at the Convent of the Sacred Heart all-girls school in Manhattan before she burst on to the pop scene as Lady Gaga.

The Religion of Lady Gaga[/tweetthis]

Last year she posted an image of her with Father John Duffell from the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in New York, a Roman Catholic church. She was so moved by the homily, delivered at her family restaurant, in which the latter remarked that the Eucharist is not a reward for being perfect, but food given by God.

The Instagram post shows her holding what seems to be a Bible. She is also seen wearing modest clothing and having a cross pinned to her shirt. The popstar is widely followed on social media, with 65.2 million followers on Twitter, 61 million on Facebook, and 21.7 million followers on Instagram.

Following the post, CatholicLink slammed her for not following values such as modesty or purity. But with Lady Gaga being Lady Gaga, she was never one to back down from airing her views. She posted back saying, Mary Magdalene was a harlot, and somebody who along with her body, was shamed by a male-dominated society. Yet Mary Magdalene received forgiveness from Jesus, who did not judge. We are all sinners, Lady Gaga wrote, and just because we are struggling doesn’t mean our lives are devoid of values.

Conservative Catholics and Christians alike have long criticized her for wearing revealing costumes on stage, and her lyrics, which they deem as offensive. The song “Judas,” which appears to reference both Mary Magdalene and Jesus alongside Judas the betrayer, raised eyebrows. “Born This Way,” the title track from the same album was interpreted by some as a declaration about her sexuality. Although it could be interpreted either way, Lady Gaga is an outspoken LGBT rights activist, and the song became an anthem for the community. She also sang the track at Sunday’s Super Bowl LI, but not before she performed “God Bless America” and recited part of the Pledge of Allegiance, namely “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”.

In an interview with Larry King seven years ago, Lady Gaga admitted her Catholic faith, considering herself deeply religious.[/tweetit]

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