(OPINION) CP – A Catholic priest has responded to criticisms from Christians who rebuked him for retweeting a post referring to God as “Her” and suggesting that using female imagery as a representation of God is “theologically correct.”

Fr. James Martin, who has developed a reputation as a progressive Catholic and serves as an editor at large for the Jesuit publication America magazine, wrote an article for International Women’s Day titled, “God is not a man (or a woman).”

Martin began the piece by noting that he inadvertently caused controversy after he shared a reflection from the director of a campus ministry at a Catholic high school in Cleveland, Ohio, on social media on Feb. 28. In the reflection, Vickey McBride referred to God as “Her.”

Following accusations of “heresy, apostasy, and blasphemy,” Martin said that he considered leaving a comment asserting that “I was simply reposting the summary from Catholic Women Preach.” He ultimately decided not to because “that would imply that I had a problem calling God ‘Her.’ And I don’t.”

“God is not a man,” he declared. “And while Jesus Christ was (and is) a man and invites us to call God the Father, that does not mean that God is male or that God is only masculine.” READ MORE