Priest in Lesbian Communion Controversy No Longer Works With DC Archdiocese

MSNBC ^ | 7/9/12 | Miranda Leitsinger

[marshmallow]

A priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral is no longer in ministry with the Archdiocese of Washington, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Monday.

Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, who served at St. John Neumann parish in Gaithersburg, Md., was placed on leave in mid-March for engaging in intimidating behavior, NBC Washington.com reported at the time, and now he is leaving for good.

“Fr. Marcel Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, who was given a temporary assignment at St. John Neumann parish,” Chieko Noguchi Scheve, director of media and public relations at the Archdiocese of Washington, wrote in an email to msnbc.com. “That assignment period has ended and Father Guarnizo is no longer in ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington.”

When reached by telephone, Scheve declined further comment on the matter.

Barbara Johnson, the woman who was refused communion, had been asking the archdiocese to remove the priest. A Washington Post reporter first noted on Twitter that Guarnizo’s assignment was over.

Johnson, a 51-year-old founding director of a small art center, attended her mom's funeral with her partner of nearly 20 years at St. John Neumann on Feb. 25. When it came time for communion, Guarnizo “issued a strong admonition that only Catholics in a state of grace can receive communion,” Johnson told msnbc.com.

“I went up. I was standing next to my mother’s casket and he covered the bowl, and said, ‘I cannot give you communion because you are with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.’ I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for -- I don’t know how long,” she said.

Guarnizo also didn’t attend her mother’s burial, Johnson said. She told msnbc.com on Monday that she was relieved..........

[kenmcg]

The Catholic church should have more priests like Fr. Guarnizo.

[RC51]

Even though most of my family is Catholic, I am not. When I attend a family funeral I do not attempt to participate in their communion.

Seems pretty obvious these people chose their mothers funeral to make a political statement. I find that ghastly.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"The tradition in our country has not been in the direction of refusing Communion, and I think it’s served us well."

What do you mean "us," Cardinal Wuerl?

"His traditions." Yeah. As opposed to the New Testament, and as opposed to Canon Law.

He's one of the big spokesmen for "Religious Liberty," the Church's right to conduct its own institutions according to Catholic religious law --- a law he doesn't actually care to practice, in this case as others.

"The doctrine means nothing if the practice can be anything."

[Morgana]

““I went up. I was standing next to my mother’s casket and he covered the bowl, and said, ‘I cannot give you communion because you are with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.’ I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for — I don’t know how long,” she said. “

Can someone please explain to these fdrq’s what a “sin” is?

Oh wait never mind. It won’t do any good.
From chapter 1 of Romans...
20
Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse;
21
for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.
22
While claiming to be wise, they became fools
23
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
24
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts 15 for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26
Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural,
27
and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.
28
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper.
29
They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips
30
and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents.
31
They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32
Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Cardinal Wuerl has a national reputation of having zero tolerance for priestly sex abuse. You can read about it here:

http://old.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030615wuerl0615p2.asp

In most dioceses (like mine:Knoxville) an accused priest will be removed from the active priesthood instantly when the bishop becomes aware that there is a factual basis for the accusation.

I am not a reflexive defender of "my bishop right or wrong" and there exists a whole list of objectionable items which ought to be brought up against Cardinal Wuerl to his face (see other posts). But you should be precise about who-did-what and who didn't: blanket accusations and generalizations concerning sex abuse are scurrilous.

[marshmallow]

You deny they canned this priest a heck of a lot quicker than those accused of molestation?

That's generally true, with some exceptions.

However that doesn't mean that molestation is or was "OK". In many cases it was a reflection of the prevailing belief that a mere time out or counseling was sufficient to put homosexual child molesters on the straight and narrow, after which they could be returned to ministry. Half-baked modern psychoanalytical claptrap which was swallowed hook, line and sinker by many bishops.

This priest was indeed treated shamefully and there has long been a double standard in the way heretics and dissenters are treated compared to faithful priests who are accused of wrongdoing.

We soldier onwards.

[dfwgator]

I probably exaggerated a bit, I am actually Catholic myself, but I probably just was more upset at how this priest was canned.

[Morgana]

Not only that but read back stories of this. She is not Catholic she is a Buddhist.

[marshmallow]

I hear you.

[lastchance]

Being canned is the spin put on this by MSNBC. He was not under the jurisdiction of this Diocese but rather was on temporary assignment. That assignment has ended and he is returning to his home Diocese. He was on loan. The complaints about behavior were about matters not pertaining to his refusing Communion to a Buddhist lesbian.

[icwhatudo]

We have offended a Buddhist lesbian...fire the priest!

/s

[Chode]

delenda est...

[A.A. Cunningham]

the lay Eucharistic minister (sic)

No such thing as a "lay Eucharistic Minister".

Only a validly ordained Priest can be referred to as a Eucharistic Minister.

A member of the laity deputed to distribute Communion is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.

Please make an honest effort to stop confusing the two and to correct those who make the same mistake.

[154.] As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest”.[254] Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. Moreover, also by reason of their sacred Ordination, the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are the Bishop, the Priest and the Deacon,[255] to whom it belongs therefore to administer Holy Communion to the lay members of Christ’s faithful during the celebration of Mass. In this way their ministerial office in the Church is fully and accurately brought to light, and the sign value of the Sacrament is made complete.

[A.A. Cunningham]

I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for -- I don’t know how long,” she said.

More than likely she'll have the same reaction during her particular judgment, although she won't be standing around for very long.

[LadyDoc]

bull...when Wuerl was bishop of Pittsburgh, he pretty well ignored all the priests who cruised in the gay bars in town. I know, because my nephew decided to try the gay lifestyle and was scandalized at what he found. (He has since returned to Jesus)...

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, I wasn't speaking from personal knowlege: I don't have any informants in Pittsburgh. I wrote only of his "national reputation" of having zero tolerance for child abuse.

http://old.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030615wuerl0615p2.asp

BTW, cruising gay bars is not the same as child abuse. It's scandalous and disgusting behavior, it warrants swift, sharp discipline and ongoing supervision from the bishop as being incompatible with priestly celibacy (or any kind of personal virtue). But's not in the PA Criminal Code, so it doesn't directly contradict the Post-Gazette article concerning abuse.

I have other complaints, such as his total, open, defiant disobedience regarding Canon 915. Another Prince of the Church who considers himself "above the law."