Archdiocese of New York condemns funeral of transgender activist, organizes mass reparations

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Funeral of a famous transgender activist New York The cathedral condemned the incident with a senior church official, who called the large-scale event within one of the major houses of worship in American Catholicism a scandal.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York condemned Cecilia Gentili’s funeral, which was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and drew a large number of spectators on Thursday.

Gentili was known as a leading advocate for other transgender people, as well as sex workers and people with HIV. A post on his Instagram account announced his death On 6 February at the age of 52.

one in written statement Continuing on Saturday, the Rev. Enrique Salvo, pastor of St. Patrick’s, thanked the people, saying he had informed the church that they “share our outrage at the reprehensible behavior” at the funeral.

“The cathedral was only aware that family and friends were requesting a funeral for a Catholic, and we had no idea that our welcome and prayer would be so disrespectful and confusing,” Salvo said in the statement. “

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Salvo said the cathedral held the mass after the funeral at the direction of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

“Having such a scandal in America’s parish church makes the situation worse; That Lent was beginning, the annual forty-day struggle with sin and the forces of darkness, is a powerful reminder of how much we need the prayer, reparation, repentance, grace and mercy to which this holy season invites us. ,” He said.

A former sex worker who suffered from drug addiction and was incarcerated at Rikers Island, he is a transgender health program coordinator, a non-profit policy director for GMHC, an established gay men’s health organization, and an advocate for health equity and discrimination. -Became a lobbyist for antitrust laws. Advocacy work.

Gentili founded Coin ClinicShort for Cecilia’s Occupational Inclusion Network, a free health program for sex workers through the Callan-Lord Community Health Organization in New York.

“New York’s LGBTQ+ community has lost a champion in trans icon Cecilia Gentili,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul first posted on Twitter, following Gentili’s death.

Gentili acted FX television series “Pose,” About the underground ballroom dance scene in the 1980s and 1990s. She also performed two one-woman stage shows.

“I’m an atheist, but I’m always asking God for things,” Gentili said in “Red Ink,” his autobiographical show based on topics including his childhood in Argentina and his lack of religious faith.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a Manhattan architectural and tourist landmark, has been the site of funerals for many prominent New Yorkers, including Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth, and emergency responders killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Video of Gentili’s funeral shows an estimated 1,000 celebratory spectators, including transgender people and other friends and supporters, chanting her name, clapping, singing and supporting the city’s LGBTQ + Praising her stature as a leading light of the community.

“We don’t really have crowds that turn out that well except on Easter Sunday,” said Father Edward Dougherty, who presided over the mass.

Conservative group CatholicVote condemns fellow “Pose” actor billy porter, whose singing performance during his funeral was described by the group as a mockery of the “Our Father” prayer. “This is absolutely unbelievable and sickening,” CatholicVote said on X.

In a statement before the song, Porter called Gentili “a leader among an entire community of people who changed my life forever.”

“Grief is singular, it is personal. Please know that however you grieve is okay,” Porter said. “There is no right or wrong way to grieve. But just make sure that you do that, you allow yourself to do that, so that we can get to the other side of something that feels like a little bit of grace.

Copyright 2024 The associated Press, All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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