Queer And Saintly
A Vatican appointee made headlines in 2017 for noting some Catholic saints were "probably gay." Of course, for years, LGBTQ+ people of faith have celebrated many saints as among their own. Behold a short list of the queer and saintly, from Catholic and other traditions.
1. Saint Aelred of Rievaulx
This 12th-century abbot served in the court of Kind David of Scotland until 1134, when he entered the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx. His writings convinced historians John Boswell and Brian Patrick McGuire that Aelred was a gay man, albeit one who still discouraged any sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage. Several religious organization,s including the National Anglican Catholic Church and Integrity in the Episcopal Church in the United States have recognized Aelred as the patron saint of such gay-friendly groups as the Order of St. Aelred.
2. Joan of Arc
The subject of Joan of Arc's sexuality and gender identity fills tomes. In Kelly DeVries's essay "A Woman as a Leader of Men," published in the book Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc, the implications of her cross-dressing get explored in depth, and it's undeniable that the martyr deviated from the gender norms and expectations of her era. While she took a distinctly female name, her gender-bending life became a major part of her trial for heresy.
3. Erzulie Vantor
The original Black Madonna of Czestochowa remains a highly regarded religious icon, and it also inspired the worship in Haiti of Erzulie Vantor, according to the scholarly blog Jesus in Love. Considered the patron saint of lesbians, Erzulir Vantor was a combination of the Black Madonna and the Haitian goddess Vodou.
4. Bernard of Clairvaux and Malachy of Armagh
An abbot in medieval France, Bernard of Clairvauz maintained a lengthy personal relationship with the archbishop Malachy, according to gay liberation theologian Richard Cleaver. After Malachy, an Irishman who also became a saint, died in Bernard's arms, Bernard wore the fallen religious leader's habits for his remaining years. Upon his own death, Bernard was buried alongside Malachy on church grounds.
5. Saints Boris and George the Hungarian
Boris and brother Bleg would become the first saints canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church after the pair were assassinated by minions of half-brother Sviatopolk the Accursed. Boris would go on to hold special significance for gay Christians because of his apparently romantic relationship with his servant, George the Hungarian. Boris's assailants pulled him from George's embrace before murdering both men; Boris famously forgave his attackers before dying.
6. Blessed Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos y de Sena
This 18th-century priest considered himself married not just to the Catholic Church but to Christ himself, according to biographer Henri Bechard. Bernardo would recount that in a vision, Christ said to him, "Consider my glory that of a Spouse. ... All Mine is yours, and all yours is Mine. What I am by nature you share by grace." The priest, who died at age 24, would be beatified in 2010.
7. Brigid and Darlughdach
Believed by some to be the last high priestess of the Celtic goddess Brigid, the nun Brigid would eventually become Ireland's most famous female saint, according to Q Spirit. She would take in younger nun Darlughdad as a soul friend, the two growing so close they would share the same bed, and the women today are revered in parts of the world as lesbian saints.
8. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi may be remembered most in life for abandoning a life of luxury to devote himself to Christ and for emulating the messiah's humble lifestyle, but Franciscan scholar Kevin Elphick also reveals he may have defied gender norms of the day and likely held deep affection for another man, perhaps Brother Elias of Cortana. He once allowed a woman to join a monastery after cutting her hair to let her look like a man and live as Brother Jacoba.
9. Hildegard of Bingen
Declared a Doctor of the Church in 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI, many scholars believe this German nun showed a strong emotional attraction to women, most notably toward her assistant Richardis von Stade. That relationship was depicted in the 2009 film Visionby German feminist director Margarethe von Trotta.
10. San Juan de la Cruz
This 16th-century Spanish saint was prone to using homoerotic imagery in poetry expressing his love of Christ, most notably in his poem "On a Dark Night." The writings have made him an important figure to modern LGBT people of faith, as noted by Terence Weldon in Queer Spirituality. -Advocate (To view the remaing 20 reliligious saints click on the link)
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