Catholic outlet stirs backlash for op-ed urging prayer to 'trans saints'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, August 27, 2026

The National Catholic Reporter prompted a flurry of backlash Wednesday for publishing an op-ed that urged readers to celebrate "Transgender History Month" by praying to allegedly transgender saints.

Written by Emma Cieslik, whose byline describes her as "a queer, neurodivergent religious scholar and museum worker based in Washington, D.C.," the opinion piece argued that August provides "a time to reflect on the transgender people who have led the way for transgender people's rights and who continue fighting for legal recognition and protection."

August is Transgender History Month, a time to reflect on the transgender people who have led the way for transgender people's rights and who continue fighting for legal recognition and protection. https://t.co/XqEsOofuoR

— NCR (@NCRonline) August 26, 2026

"This history is intimately tied to the Catholic Church, where a rich history of saints whom medieval historians now identify as transgender inspires a new generation of saints living among us," continued Cieslik, who went on to falsely attribute modern transgender identity to multiple historical Catholic figures, most of whom were women who assumed traditionally masculine haircuts, apparel or social roles to pursue asceticism or monastic safety.

"Like the saints of ancient and medieval times who were persecuted for their faith, trans people today are targeted, abused and killed for who they are. It is, for many people, a form of social, spiritual and sometimes even physical martyrdom for being who they are," Cieslik later wrote.

"Their existence and commitment to stay in Catholic spaces, to remain within a church that continues to rail against their very personhood despite the rich history of trans saints, is a form of faith that everyone should strive for. As we celebrate Transgender History Month, may the trans saints who live among us — and the trans saints of the past two millennia — pray for us," she concluded.

Cieslik based her claims on the 2021 book Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography, which was compiled by Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt. The book includes a chapter titled "Gender-Querying Christ’s Wounds: A Non-Binary Interpretation of Christ’s Body in Late Medieval Imagery," which features reflections on "Christ’s wounds as potential markers of the genderqueer" and argues some medieval artworks suggest "that Christ’s body can be read as a non-binary body."

NCR's X post promoting the article was met with a flood of negative responses, including many who accused the outlet of promoting an ideology antithetical to Roman Catholic teaching.

"In a nutshell, Catholic teaching holds that human beings are created by God as male or female (body-soul unity), that biological sex is a given gift to be accepted, and that 'gender theory/ideology' (separating identity from sex as a matter of choice) is to be rejected," said Father Ronald Vierling, a Catholic priest.

"This is heretical. No Catholic publication would publish this. Where are the bishops?" asked political commentator Marc Thiessen, who is a practicing Catholic.

"People need protection FROM this ideology, not the other way around. Gender identity ideology is antithetical to the teaching of God’s Word. We were created in His image, male and female," said January Littlejohn, who sued her daughter's Florida school district after officials helped her 13-year-old daughter "socially transition" and use they/them pronouns.

"Sex cannot be changed and rejection of one's sex is a rejection of God's design for our bodies and purpose. We must have love and compassion for those suffering from this mental health issue, but we should NEVER celebrate, normalize or promote this ideology," she added.

NCR's op-ed also prompted a rebuttal from Myles Allman at LifeSiteNews, who argued that its language "risks converting the saints into instruments of contemporary advocacy for dubious ideologies."

"Rather than allowing the saints to challenge every age with the Gospel, it makes them appear to endorse categories that did not govern their lives and that conflict with Catholic teaching on the unity of body and soul," Allman wrote.