Film Based on Rushdie Novel Survives India\'s Censors

A movie adaptation of Salman Rushdie's 1980 novel, “Midnight's Children,” â€" whose magical-realist exploration of the partition of British India was highly praised but also generated a libel suit by Indira Gandhi that Mr. Rushdie lost â€" will be shown in India without any cuts from the country's film review board, the BBC reported.

“India here we come-intact! Great news,” the film's director, Deepa Mehta, wrote on Twitter. “Midnight's Children went through Indian Censor board without one picture cut. Salman Rushdie and I thrilled.”

The film, which is scheduled for release in India early next year, was shown in September at the Toronto Film Festival and was also recently screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala, in the southwest of India.

The filmmakers initially feared that the movi e would be kept out of India altogether because of its critical portrayal of Mrs. Gandhi, who was India's prime minister for 15 years.

Met Opera Raises $100 Million in Bond Sale

The Metropolitan Opera successfully sold $100 million worth of taxable bonds on Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal, and plans to use about two-thirds of the proceeds to pay off a bank loan and to pay down a line of credit. The rest of the money will go toward operating expenses and renovations, said Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager.

The Met has said it is embarking on replacement of key technical systems, including those of its flies, stage elevators, lighting and air circulation. The renovations, which are estimated to cost $60 million over the next five to seven years, are also being paid for by donations. Mr. Gelb said the Met decided to issue the bonds â€" its first such action â€" because of low interest ra tes, at the suggestion of a board member. “It's a window of opportunity,” he said.

The Met's budget runs at $329 million a year, almost half of that coming from donations. Some 2.5 million people around the world watch its high-definition movie theater broadcasts, about four times its seasonal live attendance.

The Week in Culture Pictures, Dec. 14

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

More Photographs

A slide show of photographs of cultural events from this week.

Might-Have-Beens in \'Evita\' Include Banderas, Iglesias, Esparza

The lead producers of the Broadway revival of “Evita” considered casting Antonio Banderas, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Raul Esparza and several other actors in the role of Che to replace the outgoing Ricky Martin but could not reach any deals, leading to Tuesday's announcement that the show would close on Jan. 26, according to three theater executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because the casting deliberations were meant to be confidential.

At least one well-known actress, Lea Michele (“Glee,” the Broadway musical “Spring Awakening”), was discussed for the title role of Eva Peron, the three executives said. It was unclear if Ms. Michele ever developed into a serious possibility, however; the lead producers, Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders, declined to comment. The three executives who spoke on condition of anonymity are not involved with “Evita” but said they learned their information directly from the lead producers.

The producers also discussed casting two well-regarded stage actors â€" Ramin Karimloo as Che and Sierra Boggess as Eva Peron â€" in hopes that theater-goers would care more about seeing the show than about seeing a star name like Mr. Martin, according to the three executives.

Among those supporting Mr. Karimloo and Ms. Boggess was the composer of “Evita,” Andrew Lloyd Webber, who cast the actors as the leads in the 2010 London production of his last major musical, “Love Never Dies.” But the “Evita” producers concluded that casting actors who were not star names would put the revival at risk of losing money. (A spokesman for Mr. Lloyd Webber said that the composer had no comment.)

Ms. Boggess is set to play Christine in the Broadway run of “The Phantom of the Opera” starting in January. Representatives for Ms. Boggess and Mr. Karimloo did not return phone messages this week.

A spokeswoman for the producers also declined to discuss which actors were under consideration for the show, which will have played a far shorter run than the celebrated original production, which made stars of Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.

“The process of recasting is complicated and done in confidence between producers and stars and their representatives,” the spokeswoman, Leslie Papa, said in a statement. “Public disclosure of private conversations or negotiations would be inappropriate.”

The producers had said they would re-cast the show this winter and continue running past Jan. 26, hopeful that potential ticket-buyers would share their view that the “Evita” was more than just a star vehicle for Mr. Martin. The production received mixed reviews, but box office grosses remained at more than $1 million a week for several months except when Mr. Martin has been on vacation. (Ticket sales have begun to fall off recently, however.) In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Luftig said of the re-casting idea, “the planets have simply not aligned for us to engage the right talent at the right time.”

The “Evita” revival cost approximately $13 million to stage on Broadway, and has yet to recoup that investment and turn a profit. The producers said through the spokeswoman that they were optimistic that the show would recoup by Jan. 26. Had the producers re-cast the show, they would have likely spent an additional $1 million or so on rehearsals, advertising, and other costs associated with the new actors. Without a major star in the cast, the producers would have risked flat or even declining ticket sales, raising the possibility that the show would have lost money rather than return profit to investors.

Graphic Books Best Sellers: A Wave of New Series on the Manga List

“Bleach,” volume 53

Six series are new to the manga best-seller list this week. I haven't read many manga series, but every so often a title strikes a chord. Last year, I recommended “Drops of God” as part of the 2011 Holiday Gift Guide and “Message to Adolf” made it on to my list of favorites this year. Part of my resistance is the sheer breadth of some manga series. For example, “Bakuman,” which enters our list at No. 5 this week, is on volume 17. “Black Bird,” at No. 6, is on volume 15. The two volumes of “Bleach” new to the list are Nos. 52 and 53. Other series simply don't strike my fancy: “Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal,” at No. 1, is only on volume 2, but I'm not interested in “Duel Masters champions” who are assisted by mysterious spirits. Nor do I think I'm the right audience for “Sailor Moon,” volume 8 of which is on the list at No. 10.

This week, in an attempt to broaden my horizons, I decided to try the first volume of “Bleach,” which chronicles the life of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who becomes a Soul Reaper, whose job it is to send spirits into the afterworld. While “Bleach” is relatively new to me, it is a phenomenon to others: in Japan, the series has sold millions of copies and spawned an animated series, video games and even musicals. I did not become an immediate fan, but this introduction had a certain charm. There were some humorous bits (“You lost your powers? What are they, socks? Where did they go?”) and some pathos, as when the tortured soul of a sibling, who is haunting his sister, is forced to realize: “You were so caught up in your loneliness. . . . You forgot about hers!” Next on my list to try: “Bakuman,” about two grade-school boys who want to break into the manga industry.

As always, the complete best-seller lists can be found here, along with an explanation of how they were assembled.

Your \'Homeland\' Questions Answered

Kent Smith/Showtime Mandy Patinkin, Claire Danes, David Harewood and Damian Lewis in an episode from Season 2 of “Homeland.”

The second season of the Showtime thriller “Homeland” has been as suspenseful as its acclaimed first run but somewhat more polarizing. With the finale coming up on Sunday, the creators of “Homeland” - Alex Gansa, the show runner and executive producer, and Howard Gordon, an executive producer - agreed to answer questions from Times readers about the show.

There were no shortage of interrogators - many focused on specific recent plot points that puzzled or, in some cases, enraged them. The producers also expounded more broadly on the vision and themes of the series.

“Our motto is, give up the secret before the audience expects it,” Mr. Gansa wrote. “Because you guys know it's coming. The only way we can surprise you is to deliver it ahead of schedule.”

Richard Perry/The New York Times Howard Gordon, left, and Alex Gansa.

Below, they also address concerns about the show's depiction of Musl ims, ponder the fate of those missing codes and offer perhaps a bit of satisfaction to narrative nitpickers by acknowledging a slip-up in a recent episode.

Q.

I love the way the show builds suspense through secrets - the power of secrets to hurt characters and the nail biting about whether another character will reveal the secret. In the most recent episode, by killing one of the central characters who held an important secret, the anxiety about that secret is punctured and dissipated. How do you make the decision to balance keeping the secret alive vs. the need to eliminate that character? - G, Los Angeles

A.

MR. GANSA: We wanted to write a show as suspenseful and sophisticated as a John le Carré novel and the great '70s thrillers like “Three Days of the Condor,” “The Parallax View” and “The Conversation.” Those stories are tightrope acts, balancing character and plot twists very ver y precariously. Sometimes we fall off the tightrope. No question. But you hope the next week when you have a chance to do it again, you get it right. Or less wrong. Our motto is, give up the secret before the audience expects it. Because you guys know it's coming. The only way we can surprise you is to deliver it ahead of schedule. And sometimes letting a secret die with a character is the better twist.

Q.

Some of the plot twists and reveals seem so complicated that they must be well planned. Do you start writing for the season knowing where your characters and the plot are going to end up at the end of the season? - Deborah, San Francisco

Would you say Season 2 was more about Brody's breakdown the way Season 1 was about Carrie's unraveling? Once Brody turned double agent, did you see all the beats for the rest of the season leading up to the finale, or were you finding it as you went along? - Laura, Texas

A.

MR. GANSA: I think you're absolutely right, Season 2 did focus more on Brody's breakdown. Carrie was more in command of her illness and her feelings for Brody this year. We try not to revisit emotional territory we've covered before - there's a lot about Carrie we haven't seen yet and still want explore. This season we didn't know the specific beats of the finale until several weeks before we wrote the script. While that uncertainty is hell, you do kind of surf on the terror of finding the right ending. That anxiety is propulsive. And probably intentional on a certain level. What we do settle on fairly early is the emotional journey the main characters will take over the season. That's the great pleasure of serialized TV. You can treat characters like they're in a novel. They get to change over time, which to me is extremely satisfying.

Q.

This season pushed the bounds of credibility - never more so than when a cellphone was involved. How was Brody allowed to bring a cellphone into a top secret security briefing? Why did his wife accept his explanation for his tortured cellphone conversation with her as he murdered the tailor? And most appallingly, why was the C.I.A. not monitoring Brody's cellphone as he took instructions from Abu Nazir after Carrie's capture? - Y Skeptik, New York

A.

MR. GORDON: Good question. I could argue the first two points. But in the case of Brody taking instructions from Nazir, we had originally pitched that Greg Merriles, Brody's chief of staff, was the one who received a call from Nazir, posing as someone else. Greg hands the phone to Brody, and the scene proceeds as written. Every once in a while, despite our most rigorous efforts, we slip.

Kent Smith/Showtime Ms. Danes in a recent episode.

Q.

At this point it seems like Carrie is a one-woman intelligence operation. Is she the only competent government operative? - Chessy, Bx, N.Y.

A.

MR. GORDON: Well, Carrie and Jack Bauer.

Q.

Once “Homeland” was renewed for Sseason 3, how did that change the course of Season 2? - AmyR, NJ

Is there really a Season 3, or is that a colossal fake-out? It seems like next week could be a series finale, perhaps even including a murder/suicide. - Steve, Arlington, Va.

A.

MR. GANSA: There's a certain relief when you're officially renewed, but in the middle of the season, all you care about is making each episode the best it can be . We're blessed with such a brainy cast, crew and audience, we really don't want to let anyone down.

Q.

The cast for “Homeland” is perfect - love every single one of them. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis are so believable, but so is Mandy Patinkin! He wows me every week. Questions: How did you choose these actors for these roles? Did you know from the start who you wanted? - MUF, West Hartford, Conn.

A.

MR. GANSA: We had no idea Claire and Damian would be so terrific onscreen together - we just knew both of them could make a meal out of these two people who'd been terribly damaged by America's collision with the Middle East. We'd seen Claire in “Temple Grandin” and thought she was extraordinary. Of course we knew Damian from “Band of Brothers” and “Forsythe Saga,” but it was a little movie called “Keane” that nailed it for us. There's a moment in that film when Damian's character walks into a bar, puts money in the jukebox and starts singing. He's so raw. You can see straight into his soul. If that three minutes doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. Lodge Kerrigan, who directed “Keane,” shot “State of Independence,” the episode this season where Brody tries to move the bomb maker to a safe house. As for Mandy, he's just in a class by himself and brings an authority and humanity to every scene you can't believe. We're so lucky to have him, and I'm thrilled he was just nominated for a Golden Globe.

Q.

My husband is convinced that you cast a Brit to play Brody because no American actor would take on the role of a turncoat terrorist. Any truth to this? And now that Quinn and Estes are also revealing duplicitous intentions, the fact that these roles are played by British actors as well, is making us a little suspicious - or paranoid. Or both. - Demetroula, Cornwall, U.K.

A.

MR. GORDON: You're not paranoid if everyone is really after you. We love all our actors, and it's mere serendipity that some of them are British.

Q.

Did Claire Danes's pregnancy have any impact on the narrative this year? - SNA, Westfield N.J.

A.

MR. GANSA: We added a line in our visual effects budget to digitally erase Claire's baby bump in some shots. But she was an incredible trouper. We were throwing her down dank tunnels and making her chase down Mack trucks, and she never complained. Other than that, Claire's condition did not impact our story choices.

Kent Smith/Showtime Morgan Saylor as Dana Br ody.

Q.

Was Dana always supposed to be such a huge presence in the show, or was that something that grew organically from Morgan Saylor's incredible performance, once you saw what she could do? - Adam L., Albany, N.Y.

A.

MR. GANSA: We were knocked out by Morgan from the beginning but were definitely inspired to write more for her after we saw the chemistry she and Damian had. It felt right that Brody had a closer connection to his daughter than he did with his wife. Dana could witness Brody's struggle and ask certain questions without the same stakes a spouse would have. Also, most of us in the writers office have teenage kids. So maybe it's part wish fulfillment on our part. My son has seen “Homeland,” but his only response was to ask me if I could get ["Breaking Bad" creator] Vince Gilligan's autograph.

Q.

All season, I keep wondering, “Is this the s how when they use those codes Brody stole from Estes's office?” Well, is it? - ondelette, San Jose

A.

MR. GORDON: Like Brody's martyr video, those codes may reappear when you've forgotten about them.

Q.

Besides underscoring her as a loose cannon and furthering empathy as a tragic figure, why was the choice made to make Carrie mentally ill? Was it merely expedient for the drama? - Tone, NY

How did you develop the “bipolar” aspects of Carrie's character? Did you consult with psychiatrists and/or individuals with BPD? - Chris, Los Angeles

A.

MR. GANSA: We did talk with a number of psychiatrists, including several who are themselves bipolar or have suffered from a serious mental illness. Claire Danes watched YouTube videos of people having manic flights who wanted to express what was going on inside them. Meredith Stiehm, an executive produce r, drew on experiences within her own family. Brody's character is intrinsically unreliable, so it felt right that his match in this cat-and-mouse game would also not be entirely trustworthy. And while Carrie's instability definitely heightens the drama, it also mirrors the nature of her profession. Spying requires you to read people. To make meaning out of disparate things that may or may not be relevant. Sometimes you're going to get it wrong.

Q.

The office politics feel frustratingly real - does the writers' room tap into their own past work experiences to make the interaction between Carrie and her superiors feel so true to life? - Agnes, Seattle

A.

MR. GORDON: Everyone who's ever worked in an office has at some time or other faced differences with colleagues. We like to pull those to the front of the story to heighten the relationships between the characters.

Kent Smith/Showtime. Diego Klattenhoff as Mike Faber and Morena Baccarin as Jessica Brody.

Q.

Why would Nick Brody's wife always call him by his last name? - mivogo, New York City

A.

MR. GORDON: It's something that's been in their relationship from the very beginning and speaks to the love between them. We've heard from many military families, and it's not that uncommon a practice.

Q.

Is the character Danny Galvez a mole? - Anonymous, Chicagoland area

A.

MR. GORDON: Well, he didn't help Abu Nazir escape. All I can tell you is keep watching.

Q.

I do like the show and watch it nearly religiously. However, I am bothered by the lack of a clear separation between Muslims and supporters of terrorism. In last night's episode for example, Carrie and Quinn take the fact that their fellow agent is a Muslim as reasonable evidence for his possible treachery. In truth, there are probably more Muslims (myself and my family for example) who find being Muslim is our strongest reason to NOT support extremists, who not only twist our faith for their personal or political gains, but also kill our fellow Muslims in far greater numbers than they kill non-Muslims. I think it is important that there be Muslim characters who are more representative of the majority of Muslims in the US: those who support and defend the US. - ashmeer, Brooklyn, NY

A.

MR. GORDON: We've never wanted to suggest that all Muslims are extremists. Fatima, Carrie's as set whose tip led to Abu Nazir's assassination attempt, was Muslim. Carrie felt very guilty for her mistaken assumption about Galvez.

Q.

I will preface this by saying fantastic show, I love it. Thanks so much for making it! My question is about the explicit sex scenes. You seem to be thoughtful on this issue: You don't have as many as other hit premium cable shows (“Game of Thrones,” “Girls”) but you have several. Can you talk about how and why you decide to include them? Do you feel pressure to have these scenes because you are on Showtime and people expect them? - EKH, San Francisco

A.

MR. GORDON: We hope the sex scenes say something crucial and raw about character. Brody's inability to be intimate with his wife was a way to zero in on his isolation and her pain. And Saul and Quinn arguing over audio of Carrie and Brody in a hotel room is something that can only happen on “Homeland.”

Q.

I get that Abu Nazir's first two plots failed. I also understand that he wanted vengeance on the vice president for the death of his son. Still, why does he opt to kill the vice president in such a way that no one would know he was responsible - or, in fact, that the V.P. was even murdered? Isn't the mission of a terrorist to produce mass casualties and take credit for them? - Leigh, Sudbury, Mass.

Are you going to kill off Brody? Please don't kill Brody. - Karrie, Washington, D.C.

A.

MR. GANSA: I hope the finale will answer your questions. Thanks to everyone for writing in.

Nothing Staid About Royal Academy\'s Art Gift to the Queen

Queen Elizabeth II's art collection just got a little bigger and â€" at least by the work represented â€" a lot more adventurous. To commemorate the queen's diamond jubilee marking the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne, the Royal Academy of Arts has given her 97 works on paper by some of Britain's most esteemed and also most polarizing artists.

There's a colorful David Hockney drawing in the collection and also a beautiful dying-star-like abstract painting by Anish Kapoor. There's also an impressionistic line portrait of the queen by Tracy Emin, who rose to fame for her provocatively confessional work, and a piece by the Tracy Emin, Grayson Perry, known for his highly entertaining cross-dressing as well as for his sexually explicit work. (The drawing given to the queen, a depiction of Mr. Perry's motorcycle, is fancifully tame.)

“The Royal Academy's diamond jubilee gift is a vivid cross-section of t he best of contemporary British art,” Martin Clayton, senior curator of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection Trust, told The Telegraph. He described the collection as “livelier and more varied” than the academy's previous gifts over the years.

“Now in 2012 there is no sense of dutiful deference,” Mr. Clayton added. “The artists and architects are simply presenting an example of their very best work to the queen, and in some cases that work is very personal.”

The pieces, by 93 artists, are scheduled to go on display at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace next fall.

Book Review Podcast: Old Hollywood

Evan Gaffney

This week in The New York Times Book Review, Molly Haskell reviews two new books about old Hollywood: “The Noir Forties: The American People From Victory to Cold War,” by Richard Lingeman, and “The Entertainer,” in which Margaret Talbot writes about the career of her father, the actor Lyle Talbot. Ms. Haskell writes about Ms. Talbot's book:

< p>Talbot père comes across as a sort of Zelig-with-personality, a life-embracing man whose career spans, and illuminates, the first 60 years of the 20th century. When opportunity knocks, Lyle is already halfway through the door, cheerfully ready to adapt to every new form and possibility popular culture throws his way. From midway barker in a local carnival to bumbling magician to hypnotist's subject to traveling roadshow mainstay to actor in a theater troupe specializing in melodrama, Lyle is there. He moves on when these Victorian specialties become passé. And when the talkies beckon, handsome Lyle is ready for his close-up.

On this week's podcast, Ms. Haskell discusses her review; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Liesl Schillinger talks about the world of high fashion; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

The Sweet Spot: Dec. 14

Remember 8-track? A. O. Scott and David Carr talk about the more modern ways in which we find, and listen to, our favorite tunes - like “Gangnam Style.”

Popcast: The Best Albums of 2012

Chad Batka for The New York Times Frank Ocean performing at Terminal 5 in July.

This week, the critics Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica, Nate Chinen and Ben Ratliff emerge from seclusion, deliberation and rigorous inventory to discuss their pop music top-ten album lists of 2012.

Frank Ocean? Emeli Sandé? Taylor Swift? Kendrick Lamar? Kesha? Nas? Bettye Lavette? Off!? All here.

Listen here, download the MP3 here, or subscribe in iTunes.

RELATED

Jon Pareles's top ten albums of 2012

Jon Caramanica's top ten albums of 2012

Nate Chinen's top ten albums of 2012

Ben Ratliff's top ten albums of 2012

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (Spotify users can also find it here.)

Mining \'Scandal\' for Ratings

On the ABC drama “Scandal,” Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope, the best consultant in Washington, but even that character would have to be impressed with the marketing savvy that is pushing the series to new heights in the ratings.

On Nov. 29 “Scandal” drew 6.6 million total viewers for an episode that ended with an assassination attempt on President Fitzgerald Grant, played by Tony Goldwyn. Taking a page from the “Who Shot J. R.?” advertising playbook, ABC started a Twitter campaign tied to the hashtag #whoshotFitz, which was displayed on-screen during the episode. Viewers could also chat with the cast if they used #AskScandal.

The effort, combined with viewer curiosity about the cliffhanger, paid off in the ratings. The following episode, on Dec. 6, drew a series high in the 18-to-49 demographic, the age group most prized by advertisers, and in total viewers, 7.4 million. The upward trend continued on Thursday when, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, the show once again reached new series highs for the winter finale, both in total viewers, 7.8 million, and in the 18-to-49 category.

Rialto Bridge in Venice to Be Restored With Corporate Money

ROME â€" The city of Venice announced Friday that the fashion entrepreneur Renzo Rosso, the founder of the OTB holding company â€" whose brands include Diesel, Viktor & Rolf and Martin Margiela â€" had donated 5 million euros (about $6.5 million) through the company to restore the Rialto Bridge in the city.

The present stone bridge was finished in 1592, and though it remains structurally sound, it is beginning to show its age. The last restoration was in 1975.

“Master craftspeople will meticulously clean the stone, which will take some time, it's a bit like restoring a painting,” Mr. Rosso said in a telephone interview. The cleaning will be preceded by a careful analysis of the bridge, which will include study of the foundations by scuba divers. “We want this restoration to last for the next 1,000 years,” he said.

The city will oversee the planning and restoration, alongside culture ministry officials, while Mr. Rosso will foot the bill. In exchan ge, Mr. Rosso's brands will get billboard placement on one of the city's most famous monuments. Mr. Rosso said the ads would be non-intrusive “and creative - we hope to do something artistic,” he said. He will also have access to city real estate for fashion shows and events.

The restoration is expected to take 18 months, once the preliminary research is carried out, and the should be finished by February 2016, according to a statement by Venice city officials.

The subsidy comes as welcome relief to the city, which, like Italy as a whole, is struggling to make ends meet. “We are facing a period of severe crisis in Italy, and even a city like Venice doesn't have the means to cover all the restoration and maintenance works its immense cultural heritage would require,” Alessandro Maggioni, Venice's councilor in charge of public works, said in a statement. “This is why Renzo Rosso's commitment is so important for us: it is a message for the entire world.”

Though several international committees have sponsored the restoration of Venetian palazzos and churches â€" Save Venice and Venice in Peril, to name two â€" Mr. Rosso's gift is the largest such donation by an Italian, according to a spokesperson for city hall. Mr. Rosso said he hoped it would encourage other Italians to follow suit. “Bono and the Dalai Lama have told me repeatedly to use my brands so that others can imitate me,” he said.

An Encounter With a Red-tailed Hawk

Matthew Kassel

Dear Diary:

Outside of the Old Stone House in Park Slope on a recent Saturday, I saw a red-tailed hawk fly in with a freshly killed squirrel clenched in its claws. The squirrel was bloody and its eyes were closed.

People stopped and stared. I felt for a moment that there was something sad in the expression on the dead squirrel's face, but then lost the feeling.

I snapped a few shots and continued on as the hawk commenced to dig in.

Read all recent entries and our updated sub missions guidelines. Reach us via e-mail: diary@nytimes.com or telephone: (212) 556-1333. Follow @NYTMetro on Twitter using the hashtag #MetDiary.

A Woman\'s Final Wish, Denied by the Church That She Loved

David Gonzalez/The New York Times

Carmen Villegas's last wish was to lie in repose for just one hour inside Our Lady Queen of Angels. The modest brick church on East 113th Street in East Harlem had been the center of her life since childhood.  When the Archdiocese of New York closed it in 2007, she led a group of the faithful in weekly services on the sidewalk, hoping their prayerful protest would persuade the hierarchy to briefly reopen the sanctuary.

What she so yearned for in life was denied her in death.  She succumbed to breast cancer last week, at the age of 58. Although friends, family and politicians asked the archdiocese â€" in writing, even - to ope n wide the doors for one final adios, it did not.

So it came to pass that on a rainy December Monday, her white coffin lay under a tent in front of the shuttered church. Gold drapes hid the locked doors, and a statue of the Virgin Mary â€" Carmen's own â€" graced the steps. In a glorious transformation, a dead-end street in El Barrio became a grotto of rain-slicked asphalt ringed by towering housing projects.

“At the birth of Christ there was no room at the inn,” said Frances Mastrota, who served with Carmen on the local community board. “How come the archdiocese in 2012 can't open the doors? What does it cost? There's still no room at the inn.”

Joseph Zwilling, the spokesman for the archdiocese, said he had not seen the letter  that had been hand delivered last Friday, and was unable to find out who â€" if anyone â€" had read it.  He offered condolences to the family, but said the sanctuary would stay closed.

T he pain was palpable on Monday as the crowd gathered on the cul-de-sac of 113th Street, awaiting the hearse that would take her body from her funeral Mass in Washington Heights to her final homecoming. Politicians, activists and church ladies traded stories, hugs and tears.

Carmen spent most of her life in East Harlem.  Though she worked as a medical administrator at several hospitals, her true passion was her church and community. She led retreats, organized parish events and religious feasts. When old-timers died, she made sure the Mass was celebrated with traditional music from the hills of Puerto Rico. On Three Kings Day, she threw a big party at her home, making good on a family vow to never let the traditions vanish.

She never married or had children â€" she once thought of becoming a nun -  yet she cared deeply about young people, urging them to get an education. On top of all that, she was an ardent Puerto Rican nationalist.

To her friends, it all made sense.

“She wrapped everything together,” said Eduardo Padro, a State Supreme Court justice who lives in East Harlem and belonged to the parish. “Do I call her a feminist? A Puerto Rican? A Catholic? I can't give her just one of those labels. She was all of them, all the time.”

Mr. Padro, who penned last week's letter to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, knew the church's closing was a body blow to Carmen, but it did not dim her faith â€" even after she was arrested and charged with trespassing the last time she had been inside in the church in 2007.

“There was never the question of breaking with the church,” he said. “There was no hurt with Christ.”

Her friends â€" the women who prayed and discussed scripture with her for years on the sidewalk  â€" agreed.  Patty Rodriguez said Carmen always reminded her that the pri ests and prelates were just as human, and fallible, as she.

“Carmen gave us hope when we thought there was none,” she said. “The archdiocese for most Catholics is the end-all and be-all. You never question; you just follow. She taught us the power of protest.”

None of this was a surprise. Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, a leading scholar of Latino religious practice, said women like Carmen â€" whom he admired as a grass-roots leader â€" have long nurtured the faith in their homes and neighborhoods, even if their relationship with the hierarchy was at times fraught.

“When it comes to material Christianity, the picture of the Sacred Heart, the holy water, visiting the graves of those who passed, the prayers, women are integrated into that whole scene,” he said. “When you have a patriarchy that says you can't do some things, you also create a matriarchy that does all these other things. In terms of religion, these most basic, symbolic things are controlled by women.”

The crowd stood and sang “Ave Maria” as it welcomed the shiny black hearse when it turned onto 113th Street. Carmen's coffin was gently placed before the church, while Gloria Quinones, an activist and friend, draped a small Puerto Rican flag on it. Margarita Barada, a spry, white-haired woman, said through her tears that they would pray a decade of the rosary for Carmen.

One by one, women stepped forward to recite a Hail Mary, then stepped back to the coffin, each holding a rose aloft. Nearby, a woman stood stoically clutching a large crucifix. The rain fell. People cried.

When the final Amen was uttered, Carmen Villegas â€" who loved her church to her dying breath - was encircled by an honor guard of her sisters.  On the sidewalk.

This Week\'s Movies: Dec. 14

This week, Times critics look at the drama “Any Day Now” with Alan Cumming, “The Girl” featuring Abbie Cornish, and the new film adaptation of “The Hobbit.” Find all of this week's reviews here.