Reasons for objection “should be obvious,” sisters say
A group of elderly nuns in Los Angeles are battling to prevent the sale of their former convent to controversial pop singer Katy Perry, for what they say “should be obvious reasons coming from Catholic nuns.”
Perry, 30, has occasionally made headlines by using demonic and occult imagery in her act, most notably her performance of “Dark Horse” at the 2014 Grammy Awards, which was so hellish that one Christian singer walked out and even secular observers questioned whether it qualified as an actual Satanic ritual:
Um, did we just witness actual witchcraft during Katy Perry’s #Grammys performance?
— E! Online (@eonline)
January 27, 2014
I’m like 99% sure Katy perry just summoned satan during her performance
— chant (@Chanteeezzy)
January 27, 2014
#Grammys 2014..Katy Perry Dances With Demons to Audience Applause. Uhh Creepy?? http://t.co/0D6Thz1KYI
— Heather Thompson Day (@HeatherTDay)
January 28, 2014
Katy Perry & Juicy J Are Fiery Satanists As They Perform Dark Horse At The 2014 Grammys! Watch… http://t.co/y7r0A3Z5IS
— MBS (@MBSBeautySupply)
January 27, 2014
The pop star also ruffled Catholic feathers by catching the bouquet at the event’s mass gay wedding, which she supported, in keeping with one of her earliest hit songs, which declared: “I kissed a girl, and I liked it.”
But Perry’s antics aren’t enough to scare the Archdiocese of Los Angeles away from a deal. After the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary struck a $15.5 million deal with a developer who planned to turn the 8-acre Hollywood property into a boutique hotel, the Archdiocese sued to stop them, saying they would rather sell to Perry, who offered them $14.5 million in cash (the developer planned to pay in installments).
“In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church,” wrote Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, in a letter to the archdiocese.
Said Sister Rita Callanan in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, “Well, I found Katy Perry and I found her videos and … if it’s all right to say, I wasn’t happy with any of it.”
"I was particularly concerned about her video for ‘The Dark Horse,’” Sr. Rita added, on the Today show.
The nuns’ objections go beyond Perry’s apparent infatuation with the devil, however. Although the sisters pooled their own money to buy the convent in the 1970s, the Archdiocese says they don’t have the right to sell the property. If the courts allow the Archdiocese to proceed with the sale to Perry, the Church will keep the proceeds. If the nuns are allowed to complete their sale to the hotel developer, the money will stay within their order.
In a bid to win the sisters over, Perry recently paid them a visit, singing “Oh Happy Day” and showing off her “Jesus” tattoo. It seems the attempt fell flat. The sisters told the Today show that while Perry was pleasant enough during their brief chat, “Our days have not been happy since then.”
