The funeral for transgender activist Cecilia Gentili in Manhattan’s Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has been denounced by the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York City.
There were 1,400 mourners at the service.
Some mourners misbehaved at the funeral, according to the church, which called the ceremony blasphemous.
Many transsexual people came dressed extravagantly for Gentili’s funeral, and in a statement released on Saturday, the archdiocese expressed their shock and dismay at the demeaning and inaccurate depiction of their invitation and prayer.
St. Patrick’s priest Enrique Salvo said that the church was unaware of Gentili’s history when the event was organized. Church officials took issue with some of the mourners’ behavior, particularly with those who enthusiastically clapped when Gentili was called “Santa Cecilia, la madre de todas las putas” (meaning “Saint Cecilia, the mother of all whores” in Spanish).
Catholic Vote described the funeral as absurd, sickening, and an insult to Christianity. Cardinal Newman’s associate, Nicholas Gregoris, called Gentili’s service a “desecration” and a “revolting” act against the most illustrious Catholic church in the United States.
Liberal Catholics, on the other hand, praised the church for hosting the ceremony for a transgender woman despite their fundamental differences with the religion.
The funeral director, Ceyenne Doroshow, said that Gentili’s family had kept her past a secret from the congregation. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was an icon to her, and she wanted her burial to take place there.
According to Gentili’s family, the church was not misled, and the gathering, contrary to the church’s beliefs, gave pleasure and energy to the Cathedral.
With the help of the Callen-Lorde community health group in New York, Gentili was the founder of a free healthcare clinic for prostitutes called the COIN clinic. COIN is an acronym for Cecilia’s Occupational Inclusion Network
The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, has sent her condolences to the LGBTQ+ community on the passing of trans icon Cecilia Gentili.
