[ad_1] One of the world’s most famous cathedrals is in uproar after it says it was duped into hosting a colourful and, it claims “sacrilegious,” fun
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One of the world’s most famous cathedrals is in uproar after it says it was duped into hosting a colourful and, it claims “sacrilegious,” funeral for a transgender community icon and former sex worker.
The top brass at New York City’s St Patrick’s Cathedral were left gobsmacked last week during a memorial for Cecilia Gentili she was referred to as “St Cecilia, mother of all whores”.
Teh curch has called the episode, which also included a performance from Grammy and Emmy award winner Billy Porter, as a “scandal,” at the onset of Lent, reported the New York Post.
Yet if the cathedral was so against honouring a trans community worker, some are perplexed how it allowed such a well known New York figure of that community to be honoured in the building at all. A Google search would have revealed Ms Gentili’s life and work.
More than 1000 mourners, some transgender and many clad in bright, flashy outfits, packed into the iconic cathedral to celebrate the life of Ms Gentili, who was a high-profile activist who advocated for the trans community, sex workers and HIV/AIDS patients.
While she grew up in the Catholic Church, she was atheist, CNN reported.
Many of the attendees donned miniskirts and fishnet stockings while others wore halter tops and high-heel shoes during a service that reportedly included dancing in the aisles.
Near the altar, mass cards surrounded a photo of Ms Gentili with a halo over her head with the words “transvestite,” “whore,” “blessed,” and “mother,” above the text of Psalm 25.
During the funeral, two people took to the altar to deliver a eulogy for Ms Gentili in both English and Spanish, clips of the service show.
“This great whore, St. Cecelia, mother of all whores,” said one.
“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.”
In another unorthodox moment, a mourner outsang the priest performing Ave Maria, changing the lyrics to “Ava Ceclia” and danced through the aisles, twirling red scarfs, according to the paper, the Times said.
The joyous ceremony for Ms Gentili, who died on February 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 organisers said.
Ceyenne Doroshow, who organised the funeral, told the New York Times that those close to Ms Gentili wanted to have her funeral at St Patrick’s because the Fifth Ave building, close to Central Park and the Rockefeller Centre, “is an icon, just like her”.
However, she admitted that she never mentioned Ms Gentili was transgender when putting it together.
‘Scandal, sacrilege’
The glitz and glamour 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 Ms Gintili’s background.
“Thanks to so many who have let us know they share our outrage over the scandalous behaviour at a funeral here at St Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week,” Reverend 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, who appeared in the groundbreaking transgender focused drama Pose, shown on Foxtel. It was a show which Ms Gentile also appeared in where she played Miss Orlando, a New York City woman who provided discounted plastic surgery.
Father Edward Dougherty delivered the service, during which he declared that “Cecilia died with Christ,” Time Magazine reported.
St Patrick’s Cathedral is not among the handful of Catholic churches in New York City that are LGBTQ-friendly, according to The Times.
Born in Argentina, Ms Gentili first came to the US in 1984.
She was a former sex worker who received asylum in the United States in 2012 and started a number of organisations to help those with similar pasts.
– with the New York Post.
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