Religion

/

Health

St. Patrick's holds rare Mass of Reparation after 'scandalous behavior' at service for NYC trans icon Cecilia Gentili

Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News on

Published in Religious News

NEW YORK — St. Patrick’s Cathedral held a rare Mass of Reparation Saturday after the Archdiocese of New York claimed mourners at a funeral service for trans icon Cecilia Gentili last week engaged in “scandalous behavior.”

St. Patrick’s pastor, the Very Rev. Enrique Salvo, said that at Cardinal Dolan’s request, the Mass was offered to pray for forgiveness for what some Catholics considered a desecration of the historic Midtown house of worship.

“Thanks to so many who have let us know they share our outrage over the scandalous behavior at a funeral here at St. Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week. 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 said Saturday in a statement. “That such a scandal occurred at ‘America’s Parish Church’ makes it worse.”

Dolan has not spoken about the funeral.

Priests holding the service on Thursday were reportedly not told that Gentili was trans.

Joe Zwelling, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the church didn’t take issue with Gentili’s sexual identity, but the actions of the mourners.

 

Outraged Catholics complained on social media that attendees wore racy outfits and cursed openly at the podium while paying tribute to Gentili, 52, a renowned trans activist and award-winning author, former sex worker, and actress.

Mourners also jokingly identified Gentili as a “saint” and changed the lyrics to some Catholic songs to honor the LGBTQ advocate.

Among the mourners was “Pose” star Billy Porter, who, according to the group Catholic Vote on X opened the service “with a song mocking the Our Father prayer.”

The group went on to say the service was a “mockery of the Christian faith INSIDE St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”

...continued

swipe to next page

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus