The Archdiocese of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City has condemned the “scandalous” and “blasphemous” funeral of a transgender leader and activist, following outrage from the Catholic community.
in a statementPastor Enrique Salvo wrote that the funeral of transgender activist Cecilia Gentili was an “outrageous act”.
“We would like to thank the many people who have let us know that they share our outrage at the scandalous conduct at the funeral here at St. Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week,” Salvo wrote.
The Archdiocese of Manhattan said it did not know what the funeral would be like when the cathedral agreed to host Gentili’s funeral.
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People hold flowers and a banner honoring Cecilia Gentili outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, New York, on February 15, 2024. (Sheetal Banchariya/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Father Salvo said: “The cathedral knows only that family and friends are requesting a Catholic funeral mass, and that our welcome and prayers are being degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceitful manner.” I didn’t expect that,” he said.
The funeral, which was attended by well over 1,000 people, sparked outrage as it focused on praying for transgender rights and access to gender-affirming healthcare.
1 memorial videocalled the transgender activist “the mother of all W—–“, sparking outrage from the Catholic community.
In the video, a mourner recalled Gentili as a “great man.”
“This W–,” a mourner said to thunderous applause. “That’s amazing, W—. Holy Cecilia, Mother of All, W—!”
“Today we tell you that we will see you soon and that you will give us the strength and courage to carry on your legacy,” he continued.
Cecilia Gentili (Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images for HBO / File)
CatholicVote, a conservative political activist group, It was called a funeral. “It’s just unbelievable and disgusting.”
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Their comments came after LGBTQ+ activist Billy Porter opened Gentili’s funeral by singing the “Our Father” prayer.
The group called it a “mockery.”
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images/File)
Two days after the funeral, Salvo said the church would begin a “Mass of Penance.”
“It makes the situation even worse that such a scandal has occurred in the ‘Parish Church of America,’ at a time when Lent, the annual 40-day battle against the forces of sin and darkness, is beginning. What happened is a stark reminder of how much we need the prayers, the redemption, repentance, grace and mercy that this holy season invites us to,” Salvo said.
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“At the cardinal’s direction, we celebrated a proper mass of penance,” he continued.
