Homeless Trans Woman Andrea Quintero's Funeral Held By Jesuits at 'Church Of Francis' In Rome

[Tx4obama]

Homeless Trans Woman Andrea Quintero's Funeral Held By Jesuits at 'Church Of Francis' In Rome

Andrea Quintero, a homeless trans woman, was found beaten to death on July 29th alongside Rome's Termini station. Since then, her remains have been unclaimed by family members or friends, until Jesuit-run Centro Astalli stepped forward to organize a funeral with the assistance of civic officials and the Catholic charity organization Caritas, says the National Catholic Reporter.

Her funeral was held on Friday at Rome's Church of the Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuit order to which Pope Francis belongs. A Vatican spokesperson referred to it as "the church of Francis" in a tweet, which could also be read as the church of St. Francis, “in the sense that it’s a classic gesture of mercy for someone who lived and died at society’s margins," according to NCR.

Centro Astalli’s Jesuit director Fr. Giovanni La Manna said that the service was meant to remember Quintero's life, but also to send “a signal for the entire Roman community that’s distracted in the face so many people who face discrimination, and who live their difficulties to the indifference of our city," according to Raw Story.

The Local reported that Cecile Kyenge, Italy’s integration minister, and Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino, were expected to attend. There were white roses for her at the funeral.

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Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/27/funeral-andrea-quintero_n_4509643.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Such beauty coming from such awfulness

Thank you for sharing this.

[mountain grammy]

2. The interview was heartbreaking, though I didn't understand the language

This beautiful young woman with no future.
Thankful to the Jesuits who laid her to rest in a beautiful and meaningful way.

[freshwest]

3. Terrible that her family didn't come forward, and the way she died, helpless and hated. This was the

Last edited Sat Dec 28, 2013, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)

right thing to do, but makes me cry anyway. Good on them for showing her the respect in death she could not get in life. And for standing up for the unpopular and homeless.

There is the statute of the homeless Jesus sleeping on a park bench. And a lot of such people are beaten to death in this country. Humanity can do so much better than this,

The Jesuits are making a social justice statement and following their own beliefs. It's time for a change.

[Maynar]

4. +1000

[Shandris]

5. Very well said.

The plight of trans people in this country and the rest of the world is outright horrific in comparison to many of the things we see constant outrage about, yet they seldom get any attention whatsoever.

If the God these folks believe in is real, I hope he notices the kindness they did the memory of this woman and the suffering she herself went through.

And I hope he's a vengeful as his book says towards those vile vermin who could only show their strength by attacking society's least-protected outcasts.

[mountain grammy]

6. So true.

[redqueen]

9. +1

The broad-brushing attacks on religion need to stop.

[freshwest]

10. IRL, you have to take the good with the bad, and make alliances. Online, one can be a purist. Saving

lives is more important than ideology.

I've said before, I'm not Catholic. I never took religion seriously unless I saw the Golden Rule being applied in it as these people did, and one doesn't have to religious to follow that path, either.

Those who shunned, beat and killed this woman didn't follow the Golden Rule, whether they were part of an organized religion or not, it doesn't matter. Their deed defines what they are for the rest of their lives, or if one is religious, for eternity.

Some have forgotten the mission of those who created ideologies, or at least progressive and liberal ones. They love the slogans, long for the perfect, don't think with the heart, and effectively work for the same goal as those they call their enemy, excluding all but the perfect.

We have to remember the goal is to save life, not to be correct about everything. It's not about us in the long run, it's about everyone, which is humbling and broadens horizons.

[sabrina 1]

7. Unbelievably tragic story. And it is so sad that no family member would come forward on her behalf.

[HappyMe]

8. k&r

[LittleBlue]

11. Poor woman

Awful to die alone.


RIP