Catholic Church in New York hosts rare mass to cleanse Church

Despite the narratives, the Catholic Church still remains headstrong over its stance on queer activities.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan hosted a rare “Mass of Reparation” to atone for what church officials deemed a “sacrilegious” funeral service held for Cecilia Gentili, a transgender activist, last week.

The Catholic church stated that it was deceived into hosting the funeral on Thursday, Feb. 15, for Gentili, who was eulogized as “St. Cecilia, mother of all whores” during the service. Gentili, a prominent figure in advocating for the rights of sex workers, AIDS patients, and the LGBTQ community, passed away at the age of 52.

The Mass of Reparation was deemed necessary by Catholic officials to cleanse the church of sin following the funeral, which they claim degraded the sanctity of the church.

Rev. Enrique Salvo, speaking on behalf of the Archdiocese of New York, expressed outrage over the incident, stating, “That such a scandal occurred at ‘America’s Parish Church’ makes it worse.”

Organizers of Gentili’s funeral noted that it was believed to be the first funeral for a transgender person held at the renowned cathedral. More than 1,000 mourners, many of whom were transgender themselves, attended the service, some wearing attire symbolic of Gentili’s advocacy work.

During the service, a speaker referred to Gentili as “St. Cecelia, mother of all whores,” which was met with a standing ovation from attendees. The event also featured performances and eulogies in both English and Spanish.

While some expressed support for the inclusion of Gentili’s funeral at the cathedral, others acknowledged differing viewpoints within the Catholic community. Michael Horlan, a Catholic attendee, stated,

“As a Catholic, I have no issue with it. [Trans people] are human beings like the rest of us.”

However, opinions were mixed, with some attendees suggesting that the church’s anger over the funeral may have stemmed from differing viewpoints within the Catholic community. Mark Faulkner emphasized the importance of love and mercy, stating, “I consider all lives sacred.”