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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.
whiskey tango foxtrot?
The lesbo will show up next Sunday for mass. Will Fr. Guarnizo stand tall?
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But why does she want to receive Communion? If she disagrees with the Church on the sinfulness of homosexual activity, she should leave.
Hey, maybe Fr. Guarnizo should be forced to let this carpet muncher give the sermon. No need to maintain common sense, decency, and morality when a lesbian starts to claw her way over standard doctrine.
Let her tell HIM what he has to do. Nutz to the Bishop who caved in to this insane woman.
The Catholic church should be doing the same thing to Pelosi and Kerry because they promote/believe in abortion.
I'm not a Catholic but I wish the church would grow some cojones. I was heartened by their attitude towards the nobamacare contraception debacle. Let's go, keep that attitude growing and stronger.
LGBT seeking confrontation not communion.
Another evil PC bishop!
Another evil PC bishop!
Sure, that was written into canon law because the Catholic Church has investments in the ink industry!
Whether or not the public is a aware, shouldn't the priest deny communion if he knows a parishoner is in a state of sin?
I hope the man stands firm so he might receive treasure in heaven.
Everything this gal is doing confirms that she is unrepentant. He made the right choice in telling her she shouldn’t come forward for communion and passing her over when she came anyway. Every single act she’s done in this instance reflects a contempt for the Word of the Lord.
Canon 915 rocks! So does this couragous priest!
The Archdiocese creates scandal when it takes up with the enemies of the Church against a devoted, informed and faithful priest, while they themselves obviously can’t define grave sin, made obvious and public.
Woot! for the good priest.
Their refusal to rebuke Pelosi and other very public figures who show blatant contempt for both the Scripture and the authority of the Church has emboldened LOTS of people to LOTS of sin - including Pelosi etc.
Their eternal souls are being sacrificed for the archbishop to feel comfortable in the here and now. It’s not right. It helps nobody but the devil.
We need avalanche this guy who covers for the lesbian engaging in grave sin, and disses the priest who is a serious Catholic priest.
How do we get a hold of this guy?? I wonder.
“Barbara Johnson attended her mother’s funeral last Saturday and introduced her lesbian partner to the priest before Mass.”
Gee, how far does it have to go before someone admits something to the priest that he should consider bad enough to refuse the Host over?
“Barbara Johnson attended her mother’s funeral last Saturday and introduced her partner in cannibalism to the priest before Mass.”
“Barbara Johnson attended her mother’s funeral last Saturday and introduced her partner in satanism to the priest before Mass.”
“Barbara Johnson attended her mother’s funeral last Saturday and introduced her partner in child slavery to the priest before Mass.”
Nothing is so bad that the priest can refuse? Or is having a lesbian lover just not bad enough until careful study is given to the situation?
One thing I would love to know, and I hope it comes out like this did, is what the priest said to her when she told him. Thanks DC diocese, just affirming that sex outside of marriage really isn’t too big a deal when you get right down to it.
Freegards, thanks for all the pings on FR
The actions of this perv dishonor the celebration of the life of her own mother.
Hell hath no fury like a bull dyke scorned.
Oh wait, I don’t know if she is the top or the bottom in that “relationship”.
Stupid Catholic apparatchiks. What Church do they REALLY belong to? The Church of Satan?
I guess that they think Canon 915 doesn’t REALLY mean what it states. The AB probably supports owebama too.
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