N.Y. archdiocese blasts ‘scandalous behavior’ at funeral for trans activist

The New York Archdiocese on Saturday condemned the “scandalous behavior” at a funeral held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a transgender community activist, Cecilia Gentili, on Thursday.

In a statement Saturday, Rev. Enrique Salvo said the Cathedral was not made aware that Gentili was reportedly an avowed atheist and that they had not known about her identify before the service.

“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 wrote in a statement.

He also thanked “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 service attracted hundreds of attendees who, The Washington Post reported, were dressed in “bold-colored outfits” and included some who made “bold choices” in the audience. A funeral organizer told the Post that someone started singing over a rendition of “Ave Maria” and dancing in the aisle, to applause from the audience.

In a follow-up statement to the Post, NY Archdiocese spokesperson Joseph Zwilling said the statement was referring to “the behavior of some of those in attendance at the funeral — including comments like ‘the mother of all whores’ or changing the words of the ‘Ave Maria,’ a sacred hymn, to ‘Ave Cecilia’ to cite just two examples.”

Gentili was an outspoken advocate for decriminalizing sex work and for trans rights. The New York Times, in her obituary, said, “Once an undocumented sex worker and addict, she was a powerful advocate for marginalized people, and an irresistible story teller.”

The Times also described her as “a fierce advocate for transgender people and sex workers and a powerful legislative lobbyist — as well as an author and a bawdy, searing performer.”

She had a one-woman show in New York that addressed her experiences with religion and her “recent attempts at living a more pious life,” in a light-hearted way, according to an interview published in November 2023.

In a statement, Gentili’s family pushed back on the Archdiocese’s statement.

“We brought precious life and radical joy to the Cathedral in historic defiance of the Church’s hypocrisy and anti-trans hatred. Cecilia Gentili’s funeral service, which filled the pews in ways the Cathedral only can during Easter service and NYPD funerals, was a reflection of the love she had for her community and a testament to the impact of her tireless advocacy,” her family said in a statement.

“We bestow sainthood upon Cecilia, for her life’s work, for how she ministered, mothered, and loved all people regardless of HIV, immigration, or employment status. Her heart and hands reached those the sanctimonious Church continues to belittle, oppress, and chastise, and she changed the material conditions for countless people, including unhoused people and those who needed healthcare,” the statement continued. “The only deception present at St. Patrick’s Cathedral is that it claims to be a welcoming place for all. Gentili’s homegoing service will live on in history as a radical act of love and mourning for a revolutionary saint in our community.”