The famous St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan hosted a trans activist's funeral that went viral last week. The Archdiocese of New York is now strongly criticizing the event. CNN reports that Cecilia Gentili, a former sex worker who became "a strong champion for sex workers and persons with HIV/AIDS," was a "pillar" of the city's trans community and passed away at the age of 52. Despite having been up Catholic in Argentina, she was also an atheist.
Some of the more than 1,000 mourners, according to CNN, dressed in "feathery red dresses, fishnet stockings, and lace veils," and occasionally danced in the aisles. She was eulogized as "Saint Cecilia, mother of all whores," and she was depicted on a mass card with a halo over her head and words like "blessed" and "transvestite." The Washington Post reports that some of the mourners even changed the words of the hymn "Ave Maria" to "Ave Cecilia."
Two days after the burial, on Saturday, the archdiocese reacted angrily, expressing "outrage" in a statement denouncing the "scandalous conduct" of the mourners. "The rector said in the statement that the Cathedral was unaware that our welcome and prayers would be denigrated in such a sacrilegious and dishonest way—we just knew that relatives and friends were asking for a funeral Mass for a Catholic." "What makes it worse is that 'America's Parish Church' hosted such a scandal."
According to the New York Post, the cathedral staged an uncommon "mass of penance" to make amends for the burial and "purify" the building.
The church's response did not sit well with everyone. Jesus greeted each and every one of them. According to a Catholic lawyer who attended the burial, "He did not say if you are one thing or another, you are outside the tent."
"If a cisgender person's family prepares their burial, does their family notify the church that they were cis? What justifies asking us to do that, if not?" According to a CNN opinion post, the church's answer lacked "humanity, compassion," and even "Christianity."
Some of the more than 1,000 mourners, according to CNN, dressed in "feathery red dresses, fishnet stockings, and lace veils," and occasionally danced in the aisles. She was eulogized as "Saint Cecilia, mother of all whores," and she was depicted on a mass card with a halo over her head and words like "blessed" and "transvestite." The Washington Post reports that some of the mourners even changed the words of the hymn "Ave Maria" to "Ave Cecilia."
Two days after the burial, on Saturday, the archdiocese reacted angrily, expressing "outrage" in a statement denouncing the "scandalous conduct" of the mourners. "The rector said in the statement that the Cathedral was unaware that our welcome and prayers would be denigrated in such a sacrilegious and dishonest way—we just knew that relatives and friends were asking for a funeral Mass for a Catholic." "What makes it worse is that 'America's Parish Church' hosted such a scandal."
According to the New York Post, the cathedral staged an uncommon "mass of penance" to make amends for the burial and "purify" the building.
The church's response did not sit well with everyone. Jesus greeted each and every one of them. According to a Catholic lawyer who attended the burial, "He did not say if you are one thing or another, you are outside the tent."
"If a cisgender person's family prepares their burial, does their family notify the church that they were cis? What justifies asking us to do that, if not?" According to a CNN opinion post, the church's answer lacked "humanity, compassion," and even "Christianity."
