The funeral of transgender activist Cecilia Gentili.Photo:Stephanie Keith/Getty
Stephanie Keith/Getty
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is condemning the funeral of notable trans activistCecilia Gentili, who died on Feb. 6 at 52 years old – after initially allowing the service to take place on their property.
Rector Enrique Salvo, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, issued a statement via St. Patrick’s Cathedral’sX(formerly known as Twitter) page calling the funeral “scandalous behavior.”
“The Cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral Mass for a Catholic,” he added, noting that religious officials “had no idea our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive way.”
Billy Porter sings at the funeral of transgender community activist Cecilia Gentili at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Feb. 15, 2024 in New York City.Stephanie Keith/Getty
Other religious figures condemned Gentili’s funeral on social media as well. Father Nicholas Gregoris posted onXcalling the service a “blasphemous & sacrilegious fiasco,” adding that hosting it at St. Patrick’s was, to him, “a deplorable desecration of America’s most famous Catholic Church.”
GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ+ advocacy group, honored Gentili with their ownInstagram statement, calling the late star “a pillar in the trans community.”
source: people.com
