St. Patrick’s Cathedral says it was duped into hosting a “sacrilegious” funeral for a transgender activist, which left church brass outraged after she was eulogized as “St. Cecilia, mother of all whores.”
More than 1,000 mourners, many of whom were transgender or clad in flashy outfits, packed into the iconic cathedral to celebrate the life of Cecilia Gentili — a high-profile activist who advocated for the trans community, sex workers and HIV/AIDS patients, the New York Times reported.
Many of the attendees donned miniskirts and fishnet stockings while others wore halter tops and high-heel shoes during a sometimes rowdy service that reportedly included dancing in the isles and a call for easier gender transition care from the pulpit by one of Gentili’s friends, according to the newspaper.
Near the altar, mass cards surrounded a photo of Gentili with a halo over her head with the words “transvestite,” “whore,” “blessed” and “mother” above the text of Psalm 25, according to The Times.
But the glitz and glamor of the funeral sparked pushback from Catholics who felt that the ceremony made a mockery of their faith. The cathedral says it had no clue about Gintili’s background.
“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,” Rev. Enrique Salvo said in a statement on the diocese’s website.
“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,” he continued.
“That such a scandal occurred at ‘America’s Parish Church’ makes it worse,” he continued, also noting that it happened just at the beginning of the holy season of Lent.
The funeral kicked off with a performance of “This Day” by actor Billy Porter before Father Edward Dougherty delivered the service, during which he declared that “Cecilia died with Christ,” Time Magazine reported.
During the funeral, two people took to the altar to deliver a eulogy for Gentili in both English and Spanish, clips of the service show.
“This great whore, St. Cecelia, mother of all whores,” a person in a sleeveless top, looped earrings and a cowboy hat introduced Gentili, to a standing ovation. “Today we say we see you soon and that you will give us the strength, the courage to continue your legacy, to continue the challenges ahead.”
At one point during the funeral, Gentili’s friend took the lectern to pray for access to gender-affirming health care. In another unorthodox moment, a mourner out-sang the priest performing “Ave Maria,” changing the lyrics to “Ava Ceclia” and danced through the aisles, twirling red scarves, according to the paper, the Times said.
The joyous ceremony for Gentili, a self-proclaimed atheist who died on Feb. 6 at the age of 52, is believed to be the first funeral service for a trans person ever at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, funeral organizers said.
Ceyenne Doroshow, who organized the funeral, told the Times that those close to Gentili wanted to have her funeral at St. Patrick’s because the Fifth Avenue building “is an icon, just like her.” However, she admitted that she never mentioned Gentili was transgender when putting it together.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not among the handful of Catholic churches in New York City that are LGBTQ-friendly, according to The Times.
The Post has reached out to the Diocese of New York for comment.
Born in Argentina, Gentili first came out in 1984. She was a former sex worker who admitted to living in the US ‘undocumented’ for ten years. She received asylum in the United States in 2012 and started a number of organizations to help those with similar pasts.
Gentili also appeared in the critically acclaimed FX series “Pose,” in which she played Miss Orlando, a New York City woman who provided discounted plastic surgery.
