Catholic archdiocese condemns funeral for trans woman held in its cathedral

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has condemned the funeral service held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral last Thursday for transgender activist, actor, and author Cecilia Gentili.

Responding to criticism of the funeral from conservative Catholics, the cathedral’s pastor Rev. Enrique Salvo released a statement on Saturday expressing “outrage” over what he described as “scandalous behavior” at the February 15 service in Midtown Manhattan.

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“The Cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral Mass for a Catholic, and had no idea our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive way,” Salvo wrote.

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Statement from Fr. Enrique Salvo pic.twitter.com/I5LRDxB1ro

— StPatsNYC (@StPatsNYC) February 17, 2024

According to the New York Times, G.L.I.T.S. founder Ceyenne Doroshow, who organized the funeral, confirmed that the Gentili family kept her background “under wraps,” fearing that the cathedral would not host the service if it were aware she was transgender. The Times also reported that the archdiocese was informed by a reporter that Gentili was a transgender activist the day before the funeral.

The Guardian reported that some 1,400 mourners packed the pews at St. Patrick’s to pay tribute to Gentili, who died at the age of 52 at her home in Brooklyn on February 6. In addition to appearing in the FX series Pose and in a one-woman Off-Broadway show, Gentili was also an advocate for the rights of both transgender people and sex workers. The New York Times described her funeral as “an event that most likely had no precedent in Catholic history,” and Vogue documented the eye-catching looks worn by mourners like Sara Ramirez, Raquel Willis, Indya Moore, Billy Porter, Justin Vivian Bond, and Chase Strangio.

On Friday, conservative group CatholicVote shared video from the service in which eulogists described Gentili as “St. Cecilia, Mother of all Whores,” as mourners cheered. In its post on X, CatholicVote called the crowd gathered at St. Patrick’s a “mob” and described Gentili’s funeral as “a mockery of the Christian faith.”

The Rev. Nicholas Gregoris, co-founder of the Priestly Society of Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, called the service a “blasphemous & sacrilegious fiasco” and a “deplorable desecration” of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Gregoris also called for a reconsecration of the cathedral and for Catholics to protest.

In a statement in which he misgendered mourners as well as Gentili, Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, accused mourners of defiling St. Patrick’s. As JoeMyGod noted, one far-right Catholic website has even launched a petition calling for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, to perform an exorcism “to rid the church of any remaining evil spirits.”

In his Saturday statement, Salvo said that Dolan had directed St. Patrick’s to hold a Mass of Reparation. A spokesperson for the archdiocese told the Times that the mass was held on Saturday.

Gentili’s family responded to Salvo’s statement the same day.

“We brought precious life and radical joy to the Cathedral in historic defiance of the Church’s hypocrisy and anti-trans hatred. Cecilia Gentili’s funeral service, which filled the pews in ways the Cathedral only can during Easter service and NYPD funerals, was a reflection of the love she had for her community and a testament to the impact of her tireless advocacy,” the family said. “We bestow sainthood upon Cecilia, for her life’s work, for how she ministered, mothered, and loved all people regardless of HIV, immigration, or employment status. Her heart and hands reached those the sanctimonious church continues to belittle, oppress, and chastise.”

“The only deception present at St. Patrick’s Cathedral is that it claims to be a welcoming place for all,” they added.

From @CeciliaGentili ‘s family: https://t.co/7K6L4Vz4la pic.twitter.com/otPyUulVuf

— Eliel Cruz (@elielcruz) February 17, 2024