St. Patrick's Cathedral says officials were "tricked" into holding a funeral for a transgender activist, after it turned rowdy and many accused it of being "sacrilegious."
© Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK + © Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY
(New York, NY) – On Sunday, a mass of reparation was held at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. It’s a relatively rare ceremony that looks to offer God an act of compensation, or make amends, in response to sins against Christ. So what gives? Why did church officials order such a mass?
Outrage ensued recently when a rowdy funeral touched off at the cathedral. Some attendees worse fishnet stockings, high heels, and many agreed the event was sacrilegious — as the person being eulogized was called “the great whore.” The funeral was being held for transgender activist Cecilia Gentili, who died earlier this month at the age of 52. An avowed atheist, the group that organized her memorial admit they kept Gentili’s identity a secret for fears the cathedral wouldn’t permit the event.
Some in the crowd wore miniskirts and halter tops, while near the altar mass cards surrounded a photo of Gentili that featured a halo over her head. The words “whore,” “transvestite,” “blessed,” and “mother” were printed over the text of Psalm 25, according to the New York Times.
Some danced in the aisles of the cathedral while speakers called for easier access to gender transition care from the pulpit.
