Sinéad O’Connor Joins an Exclusive Catholic Church Sect through Ordination

• Sinéad O’Connor, famous for her rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” passed away at the age of 56, as announced by her family on Wednesday.
• O’Connor created a significant controversy when she tore up a photo of then-Pope John Paul II during her appearance on SNL.
• Despite her protest, O’Connor never distanced herself from spirituality.

Sinéad O’Connor, renowned for her controversial act of tearing up a photo of then-Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live,” had a complex relationship with religious institutions but maintained her connection with various faiths throughout her life.

O’Connor, who passed away at the age of 56, as announced on Wednesday, was ordained in a lesser-known Catholic Church sect and later converted to Islam. The singer did not harbor hatred towards any god but strongly opposed their abuse.

“One should prioritize obeying the Holy Spirit’s inspiration rather than adhering to what a group of men in clerical attire dictate,” O’Connor told The Guardian in 2010. “What I find objectionable is the misrepresentation of Catholicism by those in charge.”

Her SNL performance in 1992, where she tore up the photo of the Pope, sparked widespread controversy and stunned silence. In an interview with The Independent, O’Connor revealed that she took the photo from her abusive and devoutly Catholic mother’s wall after her death, intending to protest the sexual abuse of children within the Church.

Nearly three decades later, O’Connor affirmed her stance during an interview with The New York Times. “I have no regrets. It was a remarkable act,” she said in 2021. “But it was also deeply traumatizing. It unleashed a torrent of criticism, treating me as a madwoman.”

In 1999, RTÉ News reported that O’Connor was ordained as Mother Bernadette Marie in the Latin Tridentine sect of the Catholic Church. “One should not become a priest unless they are deadly serious about it,” she stated. “To me, my holy trinity consists of being a mother, a singer, and a priest. They are all equally sacred to me.”

During that period, she continued performing under her name but wore a cassock. She pledged to auction her other clothing and establish a charity supporting Travellers, an indigenous ethno-cultural group in Ireland, as mentioned in the article.

In 2018, O’Connor converted to Islam and adopted the name Shuhada’ Davitt, while still performing under the name O’Connor, according to The Guardian. “What appeals to me about Islam is its anti-religious nature,” O’Connor later shared with The Guardian in 2021. “Just like Jesus, who was vehemently against organized religion, Allah instructs people not to worship anything except Him. The biggest disservice to God is religion.”

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