(UN)HOLY DEVOTION - The Modern Rebirth of Tradition, Faith, and Catholic Iconography
Text by Natalia Gaytan
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing,” 1 Corinthians 13:2.
Being raised in a devout Mexican family, my relationship with Catholicism and holiness began before I was born. Not only that, but my entire youth was shaped by a country that is predominantly Catholic, both in its beliefs and cultural heritage. Though my journey understanding my faith is ever-evolving, I now have a more personal relationship with the values and teachings of Catholicism that I’ve adopted into my convictions and manifestations of spirituality. I drifted away from institutionalized practices of religion, but I will never stop believing that my life is testimony of the faith I grew with, so my attempt to live like Christ, through and with love, remains.
Holiness, in Catholic tradition, is defined as being “set apart,” a distinction that God defines, which extends through His followers in their pursuit of a life free from sin. Though the Bible sets moral guidelines for the sake of holiness, there has been a tendency for some followers, such as far-right groups, to use it as a means to condemn those they seek to oppress rather than actually practice what they preach.
How does holiness manifest in a culture that has shifted its beliefs to a more comprehensive perspective of global culture and faith?
My idea of “right” and “wrong” was built entirely by what my parents deemed holy and unholy while growing up. Their involvement in the Church consumed most of their time, their commitment went as far as sending my siblings and me to Catholic schools for the majority of our lives. In middle school, my parents agreed to let me transfer to a non-religious environment. I experienced life outside of a Catholic worldview. This was when I realized how common judgment was in Catholic circles, especially towards the LGBTQ+ community and those who didn’t identify as religious.
As more time passed, I became increasingly convinced that those whom my communities judged and deemed as “unholy” were some of the kindest people I had ever met. In my eyes, the love that Christ preached was more evident in them than in the hypocrisy of judgment that surrounded the religious communities I was a part of. This was when I began to feel uncomfortable in categorizing myself as Catholic, realizing just how common it was for people to take advantage of my faith to justify their hate. I learned that to love God was to love my neighbor, so I felt betrayed and confused by these realizations.
It took years of overcoming my fear of being judged to finally speak about what I observed…how could those who are supposed to embody compassion comfortably judge others without understanding them? How could we assume that someone being their true self as created by God could be deemed “unholy”? Didn’t Jesus preach endless love that heals and uplifts the marginalized?
Since traditional religious values rely on blind obedience and conformity, my active engagement with faith was seen as rebellious and sinful. However, I preferred this over comfortably sitting in a bubble and ignoring the world I lived in. My questioning was not met well for the most part, lifelong friendships broke off, and many people in my community backhandedly told my parents they would pray for me. It was an incredibly painful experience, especially because I was already going through heaps of guilt for believing my faith wasn’t strong in the first place. Having the people I trusted the most reject me for wanting to live my faith in a way that was consistent with Christ’s teachings hurt beyond anything I had ever experienced.
Unfortunately, my bad experiences with the Church aren't as unique as I would hope. Many left the Church or abandoned the religion entirely because they were subjected to harsh judgment and rejection from the place where they sought comfort. “One of my very close friends almost despises the religion entirely because of how rejected she was in her community, despite the love and salvation they taught there,” recalled Alex Kemsley, who was raised Christian in rural Texas. In many of these cases, people don’t merely leave a religion behind, they also lose a feeling of closeness to their community, family, and sometimes even their own identity.
Despite years of living being plagued by religious guilt, I yearned to overcome the feeling that those who led me away from the Church have power over my desire. I aimed to reconnect with the teachings and contributions of the faith itself. “The more you learn about Mexican and Chicano art and history, the more you rebuild a relationship with both indigenous ancestry and religion,” says Giselle Gamboa, a born and raised Mexican-American Catholic whose approach to religion shifted once they came into contact with their queerness. “Religion becomes a point of cultural connection despite how much it took away through its nature of colonization.” This connection between religion and ethnic background is another way in which holiness can be understood…through both history and faith.
Gamboa explains, “There are things I practice that haven’t always been historically acceptable in the Church because of those that colonized my people, but I know there’s more nuance to it.” Today, many young adults refuse to let their Catholic beliefs keep them in a conservative box of what is and isn’t acceptable. “My mom is supportive of my queerness, and rightfully critiques the shortcomings of the Church as an institution; she is still a Catholic. That has made me more inspired to come back with an open mind and heart to the Church,” Gamboa adds.
Catholicism’s influence on Western culture is arguably inescapable—impacting history, art, and tradition. Religious references have maintained their relevance despite major cultural shifts, indicating how our generation is reshaping its meaning and blending personal spirituality with cultural heritage. Symbols such as the crucifix have become common, even amongst people who lack a connection to them. While people discuss how “wrong” or “right” this is, there is no doubt that Catholic symbolism remains a reference to the beliefs of millions. “I think my only issue is to imagine someone privileged in America using it as a trend only to later abandon it and be discriminatory towards those that resonate with the imagery,” Gamboa remarks.
“The Church has always been a guiding force of culture,” says Kemsley, who is also an Art Management and Entrepreneurship graduate student at The University of Oklahoma. This affects not only how artists have sustained themselves financially over the years but also the work they create, the culture that consumes it, and the way it is interpreted. Kemsley also pointed out how the veil has become a symbol of modesty and a reference to the Virgin Mary. Despite originating from pagan traditions, it has come to represent Catholic values. “Catholicism has embedded itself so much into art that even aesthetic elements have become a symbol of their history with it,” Kemsley states. “Symbols are so important because they can convey so much. You have to understand them to know what it means when they’re used.”
Catholic symbolism and references have evolved to more than a mere representation of religion; they expand an artist’s storytelling capacities and add layers of depth to their message. This, however, is not always met positively. Lady Gaga’s music videos for Judas, Bloody Mary, and most recently Abracadabra have been labeled as “satanic” and “demonic” by Christian groups for her use of religious iconography. Regardless of the backlash faced, she has made it clear that she was raised Catholic and still considers herself very religious, yet recognizes her right to critique the Church.
In the Judas music video, Gaga portrays herself as Mary Magdalene and her lover as Judas. Throughout the video, Gaga’s character uses crosses, a veil, and Sacred Heart imagery. Judas uses a crown of thorns, often associated with the crucifixion of Christ. Through the use of these fashion choices as references and biblical motifs such as a kiss on each cheek—referencing when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss—and a baptism scene, Gaga goes beyond the storytelling of a romance gone sour and into a realm that incorporates elements that are often at tension with each other—betrayal, forgiveness, sensuality, and religion.
It’s no surprise Gaga had such a close relationship with Alexander McQueen during her early career, the famed fashion designer for whom religion was a recurrent theme in his work before he passed away in 2010. McQueen’s most direct reference to Catholicism was in his show “Dante” for his Autumn/Winter 1996 Ready-to-Wear collection. Inspired by The Divine Comedy, McQueen crafted a show that focused on war and religion. He featured direct and subversive references to Catholicism, such as a recreation of Joel-Peter Witkin’s black mask with a crucifix embedded between the eyes. McQueen reinforced his exploration of religion and controversy through a crucifix-shaped catwalk and adorning models with accessories resembling crucifixes. The show’s discography was a mix of hip-hop, samples of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” classical composer Samuel Barber, and pieces of the Catholic-derived Gregorian chant. Through “Dante,” McQueen solidified his boundary-pushing reputation, wielding Catholic iconography as a means of interrogating power, faith, and morality—an approach that deeply resonates with Gaga’s own ethos.
Catholic references remain relevant to this day, whether through controversy or genuine engagement with faith. This portrays how we remain connected to what the religion has left behind. Shifts in culture have in one way or another portrayed the legacy the Church has carried out. Though younger generations have grown wary of institutionalized religion, many have chosen to reinterpret what it means to live a holy life. Rather than viewing it as an adherence to conservative views, they view it as an active engagement with love, faith, and culture. By redefining holiness with a more comprehensive understanding of spirituality, one that transcends traditional boundaries and embraces individual expression, conventional ideas about the use of symbolism and iconography are challenged.
