Posted on 02/29/2012 6:08:22 PM PST by Morgana
GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND, February 29, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – A parish priest in Maryland, who denied communion to a woman who identified herself as a lesbian, has been publicly rebuked by the Archdiocese of Washington.
Barbara Johnson attended her mother’s funeral last Saturday and introduced her lesbian partner to the priest before Mass.
Fr. Marcel Guarnizo of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, covered the Host as she approached and told her, “I can’t give you Communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the Church, that is a sin.”
Afterwards, she wrote him a letter telling him, “I will do everything in my power to see that you are removed from parish life so that you will not be permitted to harm any more families.”
Auxiliary Bishop Barry Knestout wrote a formal letter of apology telling Johnson, “I am sorry that what should have been a celebration of your mother’s life, in light of her faith in Jesus Christ, was overshadowed by a lack of pastoral sensitivity.”
The Archdiocese of Washington issued a brief press release saying Fr. Guarnizo’s actions were inappropriate. “When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person. Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.”
After receiving the letter of apology, Johnson said “I will not be satisfied” until Fr. Guarnizo is removed from the parish.
Monsignor Charles Pope, who blogs for the Archdiocese of Washington’s website, told LifeSiteNews.com, “One would presume a priest would have had more ongoing conversations with somebody of a private nature before one would publicly deny somebody communion.”
“There may be a time when a pastor has concerns about a parishioner and then speaks to them privately and advises them privately not to receive communion,” he said. “But we don’t have these confrontations at the altar rail.”
Canon 915 of the Roman Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law admonishes priests to deny Holy Communion to those who are “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.”
The New Commentary on Canon Law states: “Eucharistic Ministers are also to refuse holy communion when they are certain (1) that a person has committed a sin that is objectively grave, (2) that the sinner is obstinately persevering in this sinful state, and (3) that this sin is manifest,” or widely known to those present at the Mass.
The U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops established “engaging in sexual activity outside the bonds of a valid marriage” as such a sin in its 2006 publication “‘Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper’: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist.”
“Catholics who are conscious of committing any mortal sin must receive the Sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion,” they wrote.
Public denial of communion must also be preceded by a private warning not to come forward to communion.
The commentary on the 1983 Code of Canon Law, prepared by the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, states, “before a minister can lawfully refuse the Eucharist, he must be certain that the person obstinately persists in a sinful situation or in sinful behavior that is manifest (i.e. public) and objectively grave.”
“Most canonists, including pastors and priests, interpret that not just as not just a quick conversation but something of a more substantial nature,” Monsignor Pope told LifeSiteNews.
Dr. Ed Peters, a canon lawyer at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, wrote “a few minutes conversation…would not suffice, in the face of numerous canons protecting the right of the faithful to receive the sacraments, to verify either the notoriety of the (objectively) sinful situation, or to verify the obstinacy of the would-be recipient.” However, Dr. Peters noted after a sufficient period of warning and instruction, a priest would be well within his rights to invoke Canon 915 and deny communion to an obstinate, sexually active homosexual.
“I don’t know that that can be determined by a brief interaction in a sacristy,” Msgr. Pope told LifeSiteNews.
Fr. Guarnizo may have been forcibly denied the opportunity to expand on his conversation. A commenter on Deacon Greg Kandra’s blog, who claimed to have been “in a meeting with Fr Marcel and heard the whole story,” wrote: “The woman in question brought her lesbian partner into the vesting sacristy just before the funeral Mass and made sure to introduce her partner to Fr. Marcel, introducing her as her ‘lover’. He told her then that she should not present herself for Communion.” A commenter claimed Barbara’s partner “blocked his way out of the sacristy when he attempted to speak with her further.”
The Catholic Church believes a faithful Christian has such an interest in receiving Holy Communion that it must only be denied only in extreme cases. “When in doubt, give it out,” Msgr. Pope said.
The popular blogger Fr. John Zuhlsdorf wrote no one should be surprised that questions persist about when to publicly deny someone communion.
Fr. Zuhlsdorf writes that “Many priests have received inadequate training in these matters of law and have been given even worse example by bishops who ought to be applying can. 915 is genuine cases of applicability,” he wrote.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, waded into a similar controversy in 2009 when he said he would not deny House Speaker Nancy Pelosi communion, claiming to do so would amount to “Communion wielded as a weapon.” When asked, he said, “there’s a question about whether this canon [915] was ever intended to be used.”
Fr. Zuhlsdorf described Fr. Guarnizo’s actions as “well-meaning” but “premature,” adding he could not find fault with his motivation.
“He should be thanked for taking his role seriously and for wanting to uphold the Church’s teaching,” he wrote.
Fr. Guarnizo did not return messages left by LifeSiteNews.
Certainly Christ spoke of those who lead the faithful astray.
I spent some time tonight talking to my religous ed. students about this very subject. Most of these young 8th graders were of the opinion that the church needs to change its doctrine of 2000 years. I said that it's precisely because the doctrine is 2000 years strong that it remains.
Certainly Christ spoke of those who lead the faithful astray.
I spent some time tonight talking to my religous ed. students about this very subject. Most of these young 8th graders were of the opinion that the church needs to change its doctrine of 2000 years. I said that it's precisely because the doctrine is 2000 years strong that it remains.
If you want to be a “Cafeteria Catholic,” there are plenty of “buffets” out there you can find to fit *your* beliefs.
(Probably even ones where you can burn the Bible & they’ll welcome you with open arms...)
““When in doubt, give it out,” Msgr. Pope said.”
IT? Has it really come down to this? IT? The Holy Eucharist is an “IT” that should just be given out like a Halloween trick or treat candy?
This extraordinarily offensive from a “Monsigneur.” What happened to the “IT” being the body and blood of Christ?
Her doing so without receiving absolution is a grave sin against God and the sacrament of the Eucharist. (Communion)
But a passage in the body of this article clarifies the matter and puts a whole different light on it:
Fr. Guarnizo may have been forcibly denied the opportunity to expand on his conversation. A commenter on Deacon Greg Kandra’s blog, who claimed to have been “in a meeting with Fr Marcel and heard the whole story,” wrote: “The woman in question brought her lesbian partner into the vesting sacristy just before the funeral Mass and made sure to introduce her partner to Fr. Marcel, introducing her as her ‘lover’. He told her then that she should not present herself for Communion.” A commenter claimed Barbara’s partner “blocked his way out of the sacristy when he attempted to speak with her further.”
If this is true, then he was completely and entirely justified in denying this woman communion. He told her privately not to, before the Mass began. And the bishop should be ashamed of himself. Maybe he hadn't heard these further details, but in that case he should not have spoken out like that without first investigating what happened.
I would suggest that you speak to your priest. In the Roman Catholic Church there are, in fact, different degrees of sin. I'm no theologian, but certainly stealing to, say, feed your starving children is less of a sin than cheating on your spouse. Thus, the wording of of the applicable Canons use the modifier "grave" in front of the word "sin" because some sins are in fact worse than others.
It's also telling that the woman went to the the unusual effort to confront the priest in the sacristy - where no one but the people actively involved in conducting the Mass should be - while he was in the middle of preparations for the Mass. That shows that she was quite obstinate in her sin.
Finally, if she went to that effort to tell the priest it seems pretty likely that it was "widely known to those present at the Mass."
I initially thought the priest had gone too far. But when I read that this woman entered the sacristy to introduce her lover it became clear that she was not victimized; in fact she deliberately set up a confrontation, using her mother's funeral to make a political point. Despicable.
‘Celebrations/Parties R US’
mark
How did the priest know she was a deviant? A militant perv forfeits "the right thing to do" by default.
I will allow that the priest could have simply done his duty without saying a word
“The Catholic church should be doing the same thing to Pelosi and Kerry because they promote/believe in abortion.”
Senator Mary Landrieu should be added to this list. She is Roman Catholic and always votes with the abortion crowd. She attempts to maintain that she personally is pro-life, but still believes that a woman should have the right to choose. How much more hypocritical can one get?
I am not Catholic, and it appears to me that when these highly visible politicians are allowed to receive communion, the church is being hypocritical and sending the wrong message to all Catholics.
Since when do blatant sinners, who are proud of their sin, have a “right” to Holy Communion?
Shame on the bishop for caving to the world’s perversion. It shows a lack of caring for the soul of those asking to commune. Those who commune unworthily, do so to their soul’s destruction. “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” ( I Corinthians 11:28-29)
Don't be silly.
All mortal sins are equal, it's just that other serious sinners don't announce themselves before demanding communion. If the priest is not aware he has committed no fault or violation of his priesthood.
The auxilliary Bishop, on the other hand...
My entire sympathy is reserved for the parish priest.
The arrogance of the pervert to demand the removal of the priest from his parish is adding insult to injury.
This continuation of the church hierarchy to ignore the canons of the faith for the sake of political correctness during the church abuse scandal indicated to me that the church left me, not the other way around.
BY all rights he ought to boil those dykes in oil, or at least burn them alive at the stake.
Ahh, the good old days
This beast is a demon spawn who is trying to destroy a Priest for having the stones to do his job.
She needs to gown the road to the Anglicans.
She is not Catholic obviously. If she wishes a “church” the rainbow whatever, is for her.
Parachute her in over Kabul with a little black dress, 5” heels and a short biography written in the native language. Be creative!;)
I have been too busy to ping the last couple of days but tomorrow I’ll get this one out for sure!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
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