Editing Sinéad O'Connor (section)

===Religion===
In contradiction with [[Catholic Church doctrine on the ordination of women]], O'Connor was ordained in 1999 by [[Michael Cox (independent bishop)|Michael Cox]], bishop of an [[Independent Catholic church]].<ref name="O'Connor becomes a 'priest'">{{Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/328709.stm | title=O'Connor becomes a 'priest' | work=BBC News | date=4 May 1999 | access-date=24 October 2006 | archive-date=25 June 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625064926/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/328709.stm | url-status=live}}</ref> The bishop offered her ordination following her appearance on RTÉ's ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'', during which she told presenter [[Gay Byrne]] that had she not been a singer she would have wished to have been a Catholic priest. O'Connor adopted the [[religious name]] Mother Bernadette Mary.<ref name="1999Ordination">{{cite news|title=Ordination conducted by Tridentine bishop once of harbour police |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=27 April 1999 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ordination-conducted-by-tridentine-bishop-once-of-harbour-police-1.178134 |access-date=3 August 2023 |last=Humphreys |first=Joe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408175259/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ordination-conducted-by-tridentine-bishop-once-of-harbour-police-1.178134 |archive-date=8 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a July 2007 interview with ''[[Christianity Today]]'', O'Connor stated that she considered herself a Christian and that she believed in core Christian concepts about the [[Trinity]] and [[Jesus Christ]]. She said, "I think God saves everybody whether they want to be saved or not. So when we die, we're all going home&nbsp;[...] I don't think God judges anybody. He loves everybody equally."<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/julyweb-only/sineadoconnor-0707.html | title = Jesus Is 'Like an Energy' | magazine = Christianity Today | last=Farias | first=Andree | date = 9 July 2007 | access-date = 19 October 2010 | archive-date = 26 September 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210926185155/https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/julyweb-only/sineadoconnor-0707.html | url-status = live}}</ref> In an October 2002 interview, she credited her Christian faith in giving her the strength to live through and overcome the effects of her childhood abuse.<ref name="salon">{{Cite news |last=Tapper |first=Jake |date=12 October 2002 |title=Sinéad was right |work=Arts & Entertainment |url=http://archive.salon.com/ent/feature/2002/10/12/sinead/index_np.html |url-status=dead |access-date=24 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206041043/http://archive.salon.com/ent/feature/2002/10/12/sinead/index_np.html |archive-date=6 February 2007}}</ref>

On 26 March 2010, O'Connor appeared on CNN's ''[[Anderson Cooper 360°]]'' to speak out about the [[Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite news | date = 26 March 2010 | title = Sinéad O'Connor in TV | url = http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/26/ac.sinead.oconnor.intv.cnn?iref=allsearch | publisher = CNN | type = video | access-date = 30 March 2010 | archive-date = 30 December 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101230111923/http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/26/ac.sinead.oconnor.intv.cnn?iref=allsearch | url-status = dead}}</ref> On 28 March 2010, she had an opinion piece published in the Sunday edition of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in which she wrote about the scandal and her time in a [[Magdalene laundry]] as a teenager.{{r |wp20100325}} Writing for the ''[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]'' she labelled the [[Holy See|Vatican]] as "a nest of devils" and called for the establishment of an "alternative church", opining that "Christ is being murdered by liars" in the Vatican.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/we-must-destroy-nest-of-devils-in-the-vatican-for-christs-sake-2823575.html | title = We must destroy nest of devils in the Vatican, for Christ's sake | last=O'Connor | first=Sinead | website = Independent.ie | date = 17 July 2011 | access-date = 26 July 2011 | archive-date = 19 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719113814/http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/we-must-destroy-nest-of-devils-in-the-vatican-for-christs-sake-2823575.html | url-status = dead}}</ref> Shortly after the election of [[Pope Francis]], she said:<ref>{{cite web | title=Sinead O'Connor: Pope's office is anti-Christian | website=Channel 4 News | date=14 March 2013 | url=https://www.channel4.com/news/sinead-oconnor-the-popes-office-is-anti-christian | access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Michaels |first=Sean |date=12 February 2013 |title=Sinead O'Connor congratulates pope on his 'greatest act' – resigning |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/feb/12/sinead-o-connor-pope |access-date=27 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |author-link=Sean Michaels (writer) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727112955/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/feb/12/sinead-o-connor-pope |archive-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>

{{blockquote |Well, you know, I guess I wish everyone the best, and I don't know anything about the man, so I'm not going to rush to judge him on one thing or another, but I would say he has a scientifically impossible task, because all religions, but certainly the Catholic Church, is really a house built on sand, and it's drowning in a sea of ''conditional'' love, and therefore it can't survive, and actually the office of Pope itself is an anti-Christian office, the idea that Christ needs a representative is laughable and blasphemous at the same time, therefore it is a house built on sand, and we need to rescue God from religion, all religions, they've become a smokescreen that distracts people from the fact that there ''is'' a holy spirit, and when you study [[the Gospels]] you see the Christ character came to tell us that we only need to talk directly to God, we never needed Religion&nbsp;...}}

Asked whether from her point of view, it is therefore irrelevant who is elected to be pope, O'Connor replied:

{{blockquote |Genuinely I don't mean disrespect to Catholic people because I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Holy Spirit, all of those, but I also believe in all of them, I don't think it cares if you call it Fred or Daisy, you know? Religion is a smokescreen, it has everybody talking to the wall. There ''is'' a Holy Spirit who can't intervene on our behalf unless we ask it. Religion has us talking to the wall. The Christ character tells us himself: you must only talk directly to the Father; you don't need intermediaries. We all ''thought'' we did, and that's ok, we're not bad people, but let's wake up&nbsp;[...] God was there before religion; it's there [today] despite religion; it'll be there when religion is gone.<ref>{{Cite web| format = YouTube video | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB9F6YoyxJA | time = 05:42 | title = Sinead O'Connor's thoughts on the new Pope | work = Channel 4 News | type = interview | first = Jon | last = Snow | date=14 March 2013 |access-date = 28 November 2016 | archive-date = 5 April 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170405165528/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB9F6YoyxJA | url-status = live}}</ref>}}

Tatiana Kavelka wrote about O'Connor's later Christian work, describing it as "theologically charged yet unorthodox, oriented toward interfaith dialogue and those on the margins".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kalveks |first=Tatiana |title=Sinéad O'Connor: Priesthood of the Excluded |journal=Journal of Religion and Popular Culture |volume=30 |issue=3 |year=2018 |pages=178–92 |doi=10.3138/jrpc.2017-0008 |s2cid=150998288 |url=https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/jrpc.2017-0008}}</ref> In August 2018, via an open letter, she asked Pope Francis to issue a certificate of [[Excommunication in the Catholic Church|excommunication]] to her, as she had also asked [[Pope Benedict XVI]] and [[Pope John Paul II]].<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/26/sinead-oconnor-converts-to-islam-shuhada-davitt|title=Sinéad O'Connor converts to Islam, taking new name Shuhada' Davitt |first=Ben |last=Beaumont-Thomas |date=26 October 2018|website=The Guardian|access-date=11 November 2018|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412082135/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/26/sinead-oconnor-converts-to-islam-shuhada-davitt|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/life/the-excommunication-factor/29258479.html|title=The Excommunication Factor|last=Meagher|first=John|date=12 May 2013|access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref>

In October 2018, O'Connor converted to [[Islam]], calling it "the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey".<ref name="irishpostislam">{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishpost.com/entertainment/sinead-oconnor-renounces-catholicism-converts-islam-161261|title=Sinead O'Connor renounces Catholicism and converts to Islam|last=Lonergan|first=Aidan|work=The Irish Post|date=25 October 2018|archive-date=2 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902030336/https://www.irishpost.com/entertainment/sinead-oconnor-renounces-catholicism-converts-islam-161261|url-status=live}}</ref> The ceremony was conducted in Ireland by [[Sunni Islam]]ic theologian Shaykh [[Umar Al-Qadri]]. She also changed her name to Shuhada' Davitt. In a message on Twitter, she thanked fellow Muslims for their support and uploaded a video of herself reciting the ''[[adhan]]'', the Islamic call to prayer. She also posted photos of herself wearing a [[hijab]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iambirmingham.co.uk/2018/10/25/singer-sinead-oconnor-converts-islam-changes-name/|title=Singer Sinead O'Connor converts to Islam and changes her name|date=25 October 2018|work=I Am Birmingham|access-date=26 October 2018|archive-date=26 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026104142/https://www.iambirmingham.co.uk/2018/10/25/singer-sinead-oconnor-converts-islam-changes-name/|url-status=live}}</ref> She later changed her surname from Davitt to Sadaqat.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Jamel |date=28 July 2023 |title=Sinead O'Connor was a blessed soul, says Imam |language=en |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/sinead-o-connor-grammy-god-koran-bray-b2383838.html |access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Beresford |first=Jack |date=21 June 2021 |title=Sinead O'Connor to legally change her name by deed poll to Shuhada Sadaqat |work=[[The Irish Post]] |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/sinead-oconnor-to-legally-change-her-name-by-deed-poll-to-shuhada-sadaqat-214577 |access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref>

After her conversion to Islam, Sadaqat called those who were not Muslims "disgusting" and criticised Christian and Jewish theologians on Twitter in November 2018. She wrote: "What I'm about to say is something so racist I never thought my soul could ever feel it. But truly I never wanna spend time with white people again (if that's what non-muslims are called). Not for one moment, for any reason. They are disgusting."<ref>{{cite web |date=6 November 2018 |title=Sinead O'Connor says she 'never wants to spend time with white people again' following conversion to Islam |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sinead-oconnor-islam-white-people-shuhada-davitt-muslim-a8620231.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929170431/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sinead-oconnor-islam-white-people-shuhada-davitt-muslim-a8620231.html |archive-date=29 September 2019 |access-date=12 November 2018 |website=The Independent|first=Jack|last=Shepherd}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sinead O'Connor upsets Muslims, says she won't associate with 'disgusting' white people |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/2018/11/06/sinead-oconnor-upsets-muslims-calls-white-people-disgusting/1912720002/ |last=Haas |first=Susan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108125337/https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/2018/11/06/sinead-oconnor-upsets-muslims-calls-white-people-disgusting/1912720002/ |archive-date=8 November 2020 |access-date=12 November 2018 |date=7 November 2018 |website=USA Today}}</ref> Two days later, she tweeted that anyone who is not Muslim is "mentally ill".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lonergan |first=Aidan |title=Sinead O'Connor claims anyone who isn't Muslim is 'mentally ill' and says she wants to outlive Bono so he can't speak at her funeral |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/sinead-oconnor-claims-anyone-isnt-muslim-mentally-ill-says-wants-outlive-bono-cant-speak-funeral-162011 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=The Irish Post}}</ref> Later that month, Sadaqat stated that her remarks were made in an attempt to force Twitter to close down her account.<ref>{{cite web |last=Freeth |first=Becky |date=15 November 2018 |title=Sinead O'Connor returns to Twitter to 'annoy the white supremacists' and 'f*****g idiots' spamming her page |url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/15/sinead-oconnor-returns-to-twitter-to-annoy-the-white-supremacists-and-fg-idiots-spamming-her-page-8141221/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115102154/https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/15/sinead-oconnor-returns-to-twitter-to-annoy-the-white-supremacists-and-fg-idiots-spamming-her-page-8141221/ |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=15 November 2018 |website=Metro}}</ref> In September 2019, she apologised for the remarks, saying "They were not true at the time and they are not true now. I was triggered as a result of [[Islamophobia]] dumped on me. I apologize for hurt caused. That was one of many crazy tweets lord knows."<ref>{{cite news |last=Tracy |first=Brianne |date=9 September 2019 |title=Sinéad O'Connor Apologizes for Calling White People 'Disgusting,' Returns to Stage After Hiatus |work=People |url=https://people.com/music/sinead-oconnor-apologizes-saying-white-people-disgusting/ |url-status=live |access-date=11 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923182308/https://people.com/music/sinead-oconnor-apologizes-saying-white-people-disgusting/ |archive-date=23 September 2019}}</ref>