Religious conservatives are accusing the Met Gala of “religious appropriation” over the annual fashion event’s Catholic theme.

The event – officially titled “heavenly bodies” – should not have happened because it involved celebrities sexualising, commodifying and undermining the Catholic religion and church, according to critics.

Each year, the opening of the Costume Institute’s exhibit at New York’s Met Museum is celebrated with a huge grand opening, attended by the world’s biggest celebrities and marking one of the high points of the fashion calendar. The event and the exhibition are always organised around a theme – which sometimes celebrates individual designers, but occasionally looks at entire subcultures or countries.

Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Show all 50 1 /50 Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rihanna went all in on the Catholicism theme wearing custom Maison Margiela AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Madonna poses alongside Jean Paul Gaultier, the designer of her gothic Met Gala gown AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Supermodel Bella Hadid wears a glossy latex corset by Chrome Hearts Official x Gareth Pugh, topped with a sculptural cape Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Katy Perry incorporated the theme with oversized wings, a Versace chainmail dress and thigh high boots Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Black Panther's Chadwick Bosemanan wears an all-white Versace outfit with religiously inspired embellishments, gold shoes, and a cape Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Priyanka Chopra wears Ralph Lauren Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Solange Knowles opted for a structural black Iris van Herpen dress and a halo headpiece with a black du-rag Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lily Collins wears a black Givenchy gown and coordinating gothic makeup Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kate Bosworth wears an ethereal Oscar de la Renta gown topped with a mantilla veil Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Vogue editor Anna Wintour wears a custom Chanel gown featuring a halter neck and intricate beading Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Frances McDormand wearing a Versace gown and Philip Treacy headpiece, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Anne Hathaway sporting a Valentino Couture red ballgown AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Ariana Grande poses alongside Vera Wang, the designer of the singer's debut Met Gala gown Rex Features Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Nicki Minaj wears a red Oscar de la Renta gown and bejeweled headpiece PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Blake Lively wears Versace to the Met Gala PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen wear Dolce & Gabbana Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kim Kardashian stunned in a liquid gold Versace dress with cross embroidery Reuters Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Jennifer Lopez wears a bejewelled Balmain gown with cross detailing while Alex Rodriguez opted for a polished black suit PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Tracee Ellis Ross wears a bright pink gown with a matching jacket by Michael Kors Rex Features Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amal Clooney wears a Richard Quinn corset dress and navy trousers while husband George Clooney opted for a traditional black tuxedo REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lana Del Rey wears an elaborate Gucci gown and bird halo headpiece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Sean 'Diddy' Combs wears a Musika Frere suit while Cassie opted for Thom Browne with Chopard earrings Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Miley Cyrus wears plunging black dress by Stella McCartney and Sydney Evan custom hoops with a large cross Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Cynthia Erivo opted for a Valentino gown, Sophia Webster shoes and bejewelled brows Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Power couple Helen Lasichanh and Pharrell Williams both dressed in Chanel for the annual gala PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Winnie Harlow wears an all-white Tommy Hilfiger dress with a dramatic train PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Donatella Versace, who was co-host for the event, opted for an ornate navy and gold dress of her own design AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Elon Musk wears a white tuxedo and Tesla pin, while Grimes opted for a black dress and Tesla choker AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lily Aldridge and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley walked the red carpet together, both wearing Ralph Lauren Collection gowns AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Atlanta-based trio, Migos, wear sequinned Versace suits EPA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Contributing Editor of Vogue Thailand, Nichapat Suphap, wears custom Peter Dundas AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Anya Taylor-Joy wears a gold tapestry Dolce & Gabbana dress PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Janelle Monae wears a monochrome Marc Jacobs gown with a crystallised head wrap and Stephen Jones hat PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rapper Cardi B opted for a custom Moschino gown alongside designer Jeremy Scott REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Eiza Gonzalez wears a black Prabal Gurung gown with a white cape AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Cara Delevingne wears a dramatic all-black Dior Haute Couture dress and beaded veil REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lewis Hamilton wears an all-white ensemble designed by Tommy Hilfiger AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rita Ora wears an all-black embellished ensemble by Prada EPA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amanda Seyfried wears a romantic Renaissance-style gown by Prada AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amber Heard paired a Carolina Herrera scarlet gown with a gold halo headpiece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lena Waithe made a powerful pride statement with a sparkly rainbow cape worn over a sleek black suit PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kylie Jenner wears a black Alexander Wang gown with semi-sheer heels and micro sunglasses PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies 2 Chainz (kneeling) proposed to Kesha Ward on the red carpet, both wearing custom Versace AP Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Doutzen Kroes wears a colourful Sies Marjan dress AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Supermodel Gigi Hadid wears a Versace gown with stain glass window-inspired detail PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies SZA wears a frothy Atelier Versace gown and a headpiece by Chrishabana AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Diane Kruger accessorised her Prabal Gurung gown with a custom Philip Treacy head piece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Andrew Garfield wears a velvety pink tuxedo jacket by Tom Ford PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Paris Jackson and Miley Cyrus both opted for gowns by designer Stella McCartney PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Vanity Fair’s contributing editor, Amy Fine Collins, wears a custom design by Alice + Olivia’s Stacey Bendet Eisner AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Emilia Clarke wearing a Dolce & Gabbana gown Getty

This year’s event saw celebrities draw from the vast history of Catholic art and channel into outfits that included Nativity headpieces and a huge pair of angel wings. One of the most-discussed looks was Rihanna’s Margiela “pope” dress.

But many online commentators argued those outfits appeared to be examples of cultural appropriation.

The accusation comes in the wake of a high-profile argument that erupted after a teenager wore a traditional Chinese dress to her school’s prom. One response on Twitter – which read: “My culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress” – has been retweeted more than 40,000 times.

Many commentators used that same format to criticise the Met Gala theme. “My religion is not your costume,” wrote one.

“Among the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life,” tweeted another. “Heresy at its finest.”

Others suggested there would be a much bigger outcry if other religions had been chosen as the event’s de facto theme.

“Surprised people aren’t calling out the #MetGala #MetHeavenlyBodies for being offensive to Catholics,” wrote one Twitter user. “But if it was another religion everyone would be up in arms.”

The Vatican not only gave permission for the theme, but also provided a whole host of clothes and other items for the accompanying exhibition.

The Met and the Vatican worked together for more than a year to procure more than 40 items for the event, and curator Andrew Bolton was even given access to the hidden chambers where nuns look after the pope’s clothes.

It is far from the first time the event has been accused of cultural appropriation.

In 2015, the theme was “China: Through the Looking Glass”. For that event, some were accused of sexualising traditional Chinese clothes, while some wore kimonos, traditionally associated not with China but with Japan.

But the event was also praised for the respect and care most of its attendees were perceived to have afforded the theme.

The accompanying exhibition – which was explicit about the fact it was exploring China’s influence on the West, rather than Chinese fashion itself – was even praised as “surprisingly respectful” by fashion website Racked.