St. Patrick’s Cathedral was the site of protests over the church’s position on homosexuality and AIDS. On Thursday, it hosted a jubilant funeral for Cecilia Gentili, a former sex worker and actress.
A church official said the blessings amounted to “a real development” that nevertheless did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage.”
Progressives who once hoped that the synod would create momentum for things like reaching out to L.G.B.T.Q.+ Catholics said the meeting had failed to move the institution.