OPINION: Cecilia Gentili’s life cannot be ruined by one Catholic archdiocese

Editor’s note: Alison Hope is an author whose work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Slate, and more. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.read more opinions On CNN.

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The day after Valentine’s Day, a large and spectacular funeral was held at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in honor of the late, great Cecilia Gentili. It was a service filled with laughter, sadness, love and tears, not to mention a performance by actor and singer Billy Porter (the two were castmates on the groundbreaking TV series “Pose”). St. Patrick’s Cathedral is probably the most famous Catholic church outside the Vatican. Gentili’s friends chose this location for her funeral for that reason. Her friend who planned the funeral said Gentili was “a magical place for our community…that’s why we chose such an iconic location as St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”

“Aside from Easter Sunday, no other crowd gathers so large,” the priest declared. Hundreds of gay men gathered to mourn the loss of their leader, sister and transgender woman. She escaped a hostile homeland, sexual slavery, and poverty to become an activist, actress, and an inspiration to many vulnerable people who fought every waking moment of their lives.

But the Rev. Enrique Salvo, Archbishop of St. Patrick, did not mince words in a statement released by the Archdiocese of New York just days later.

“We would like to thank the many people who shared our outrage at the scandalous conduct at the funeral here at St. Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week,” the statement read. “The cathedral only knows that family and friends are requesting a Catholic funeral mass and does not expect our welcome and prayers to be undermined in such a sacrilegious and deceptive manner. The fact that such a scandal occurred in “America’s Parish Church” makes the situation even worse. What happened as Lent began, the once-a-year 40-day battle against the powers of sin and darkness, is the prayer, penance, repentance, grace, and mercy that this holy season calls upon us. A stark reminder of how much we need it. ”

It is unclear what exactly Salvo meant by making this statement, but the words are condescending and critical. It lacks compassion and humanity to use the word “scandal” to describe the expressions of mourning and celebration at the funerals of transgender people. There’s nothing Christian about it.

This statement evokes the beginning of Lent as a complicating factor. I felt disgusted by what had happened. It may have been referring to the diverse representation of queer people on display at the funeral.Or maybe that’s what it means to Some of the words used in the eulogy, including “blasphemous” and “deceptive,” were meant to honor the late transgender icon. “Saint Cecilia. Mother of all prostitutes,” transgender rights activist Liam Winslet said in Spanish during the funeral.

Gentili was not shy about the fact that she was a sex worker, and many were aware of her work to decriminalize women’s bodies and ensure legal protection for sex workers. And while many Christian churches (not just the Catholic Church) will not be able to accept everything that was said and done at Gentili’s service, the irony of Mary Magdalene is lost on this point as well. Not that there is. The church has historically had no problem talking about prostitutes. Are trans prostitutes the only ones they don’t approve of?

Perhaps the worst part of all of this is that in Salvo’s statement, the Archdiocese’s Office said that St. It was announced that the event would be held at the direction of the archdiocese. Cardinal Timothy Dolan. As if funerals with LGBTQ people in them are in need of repair or restoration.

I have my own Lenten message to the leaders of the Archdiocese of New York and to members of the Catholic Church who see nothing wrong with their statements of condemnation. During this holy season, let go of judgment and hatred.

How small of you to be able to decide how grieving people memorialize their lost loved ones. How despicable it would be to plunge a dagger even deeper into a community already hurt and filled with vulnerable people. How hurtful it is to use Lent as a weak excuse for condemnation when the greatest sins are clearly documented from within the walls.

Jesus would have washed their feet, he would not have chased them out or loudly insisted that a Mass of reparation was needed. He would have recognized the honest and incredibly difficult life lived by Gentili and her friends who came to honor her. How she dedicated her life to the service of others and lived the mission of her church, perhaps more honorably and with integrity than many who would judge. Sho. People living in glass-enclosed duty-free houses are not allowed to throw stones.

Some may say that hate is too strong a word here. However, Merriam-Webster defines hatred as “a feeling of intense hostility and disgust, usually resulting from fear, anger, or a sense of injury.”There is certainly hatred in Salvo. This statement also exists in the history of how the Catholic Church has treated members of my community.

This is the same church that turned its back on gay men during the AIDS crisis, at whose feet protests were held. The same church that started New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has long prohibited LGBTQ groups from marching. This church welcomes members who believe LGBTQ people don’t need to exist or can be “cured” with abusive conversion therapy techniques.

With this statement, the Archdiocese of New York revealed its true nature, and with it, also revealed the persistence of anti-LGBTQ bias within the Catholic Church. The institution can no longer hide behind the smoke and mirrors of “loving the sinner and hating the sin” or behind Pope Francis’ largely symbolic act of allowing same-sex couples to receive the blessing. This has long caused great harm to LGBTQ people, but Salvo’s statement says that above all else, that hatred is being exposed for all to see.

The only consolation for now is that Gentili is probably looking down and smiling right now. She can only imagine how excited she would have been to know that she had her wings ruffled.