Friends and family of Cecilia Gentili gathered Wednesday outside City Hall, demanding an apology from St. Patrick’s Cathedral after the pastor abruptly cut Gentili’s funeral short.
What You Need To Know
- Cecilia Gentili, who was transgender, died Feb. 6 at the age of 52
- A New York Archdiocese spokesperson pointed to moments during the funeral, which the archdiocese said is inappropriate
- Cardinal Timothy Dolan has denounced the funeral
“She does not deserve this. Her husband does not deserve this. Her family does not deserve this,” said Ceyenne Doroshow, founder of GLITS.
Doroshow was close friends with the notable activist, who championed the rights of trans people and sex workers.
Gentili, who was transgender, died Feb. 6 at the age of 52.
In a statement following the funeral, Reverend Enrique Salvo said, in part: “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 way.”
“I didn’t dupe the church. I didn’t tell them [about] her gender orientation. I didn’t have to because you don’t need to know what’s between her legs to respect her wishes,” Doroshow said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan has denounced the funeral.
“Once the funeral started is when the trouble started because of the irreverence and the disrespect,” Dolan said.
“This is not about us. We are collateral damage,” Doroshow said.
A New York Archdiocese spokesperson pointed to moments during the funeral, which the archdiocese said is inappropriate.
“When acts scandal and destruction, when acts of [toward] the church go on, it does cause us a lot of anguish, doesn’t it?” Dolan said.
The church held a Mass of Reparation, which is a service held to forgive sins and violations of what is sacred in the church.
Doroshow wants an apology.
“This was a moment that could have changed the whole thing,” Doroshow said.
The family said they told the church who the funeral was for.
According to Dolan, they don’t do background checks.