Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, Priest Who Denied Communion To Lesbian, Put On Leave

Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, the priest who denied a lesbian woman communion at her mother's funeral, has been withdrawn and placed on administrative leave.*

Father Marcel Guarnizo, who until recently served at Gaithersburg's Saint John Neumann Catholic Church outside of Washington D.C., was reported to have covered the bowl containing the Eucharist as Barbara Johnson, who is a lesbian, approached him at her mother's funeral.

The priest is reported to have told her: “I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin according to the church."

The widely reported incident created a public outcry and Ms. Johnson received an apology from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Now the The Washington Post reports a letter dated March 9, was sent by Rev. Barry Knestout, a top administrator for the Diocese, announcing Guarnizo's removal, for reasons of: “engaging in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry.”

The letter, which was printed by Real Clear Religion reads:

I write to inform you that effective today, Father Marcel Guarnizo’s assignment at St. John Neumann Parish is withdrawn and he has been placed on administrative leave with his priestly faculties removed until such time as an inquiry into his actions at the parish is completed.

This action was taken after I received credible allegations that Father Guarnizo has engaged in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry.

Given the grave nature of these allegations, and in light of the confusion in the parish and the concerns expressed by parishioners, Father Guarnizo is prohibited from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington until all matters can be appropriately resolved, with the hope that he might return to priestly ministry.

Sincerely in Christ
Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout
Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia"

It is unclear when, if ever, Father Marcel Guarnizo will return to Gaithersburg's Saint John Neumann Catholic Church.

Photo from KI Institute
*"CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that Guarnizo had been suspended; he has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation."

Comments

[voicebodycheck]

07:48 PM on 03/31/2012

you censor christianity not evil!

This comment has been removed. Most comments are removed because of an attack or insult on another user or public figure. Please see the guidelines here if you're not sure why this comment was removed.

the blog you censored is about the evil present day and this is generally taught by christians and BY CHRIST.(THEBIBLE)
HTTP://ABOMINATIONSREMOVED

[SimpleScryer]

07:02 PM on 03/19/2012

Shame seeing conservative priesthood. This goes in direct violation to catholic catechism declaring members of the gay community are always allowed to participate in communion. Shame seeing this kind of stuff.

[Joshua Donescoss]

09:44 AM on 03/18/2012

Rev. Guarnizo did what was absolutely right. It is better to offend all of mankind everyday of your life than to offend God in the smallest of ways once. He offended her by loving God more. He is hated by you, religious commentators of Huffpo, because the good priest loves God. Just remember who God is! Just remember what He can do.

[WVWNEWS]

06:27 AM on 03/18/2012

If lesbians hate men so much, why do they go with ugly fat women who try to look like men?

[baileywick]

01:45 PM on 03/21/2012

Because they are smarter than you?

[bensonwood]

02:01 AM on 03/18/2012

Here is the deal on the priest....... he knows not the bible.

Anyone taking communion unworthily condemns him/herself. You don't have to play God.

Poor priest buck up and study the book. Be a marine for God.....Jesus.

[darter22]

12:20 AM on 03/18/2012

Divorce yourself from this evil and embrace reality. You'll be glad you did.

[Greg Shatto]

03:51 AM on 03/17/2012

"living with a woman is a sin"... Really?

[Joshua Donescoss]

09:30 AM on 03/18/2012

In the way she was "living", yes. To simply live with a roommate of the same sex is not a sin, obviously. But if you are a known lesbian and you live with whom you consider your partner, then that is a sin.

[hcruz1]

03:48 PM on 03/16/2012

I am male. I am straight. I am Catholic. I lost my mother. I support Barbara Johnson. I did not know that loving everyone was optional for priests.

[Joshua Donescoss]

09:21 AM on 03/18/2012

To love someone is to save them from sin. She is a lesbian Buddhist so she has no business whatsoever eating of the Body and drinking of the Blood of Our Lord, a Lord she does not worship.

[Angie Daniels]

03:54 AM on 03/16/2012

Isn't there something in the bible about judge not lest ye be judged? I think JC would puke and God (who in my mind is different and separate from JC.. but I'm not Christian so what do I know) would smote.

[Bibbo]

10:43 AM on 03/16/2012

Angie...I predict that you will reject what I say because you want to be angry and have an issue to be angry about. Yes...of course the Bible warns about judgement but the priest WAS NOT judging he was evaluating her behavior. Judging would be deciding that the woman was evil and deserved punishment. The priest did not do this...he only said that the woman is violating a serious church teaching and publically ignoring this would be giving scandal. Judging a person involves a much deeper analysis involving motive,freedom of action and a persons understanding of their behavior. The priest did none of this...he only said that she is in violation of the law.

[Angie Daniels]

02:28 PM on 03/16/2012

Yes, you're right. I see that now.

[Leanne McKenzie]

09:25 PM on 03/16/2012

“I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin according to the church."

Sounds like a judgement to me.

[fredaskribent]

08:36 PM on 03/15/2012

What would Jesus, peace be upon him, do? He not only hung out with tax collectors, he hung out with Mary Magdalene, peace be upon her. He also taught us to love "our enemies". He said its easy to love who isn't your enemy, but loving your enemy, that is the test for a true follower of Jesus' teachings.

God is Love and if we don't love one another, we do not love God.

May Peace Prevail. May Love Prevail.

[OverseasVet]

11:27 PM on 03/15/2012

Don't know about Jesus but the flying spaghetti monster would have extended his noodley appendage and slapped the priest across the forehead. Hate is taught in such a way within churches. It doesn't matter the denomination. Christian, Muslim, Jew are exclusionary religions and require discrimination so they can feel they are somehow special. It really is sad to see grown people fight each other for the affection of an imaginary father figure.

[fredaskribent]

08:03 AM on 03/16/2012

I had my blessed union in a UCC church; the minister was also gay. I am a Sufi now and I pray with other lgbt Muslims. As a liberal living in the US, I can do this comfortably. On the ohter hand, there are many parts of the Muslim world where homosexuality means the death penalty.

My God is not a "father". I worship whatever makes this universe so amazing... from making eggs and seeds that know from complex genetic coding what to become to holding planets in their places to causing nature to respond so in synch with the seasons.

Some explain it with science, but I think the Source is beyond being known by science.

[Marco Wilson]

12:04 PM on 03/16/2012

This is such drivel. What the Priest would have done by giving her Communion would have allowed this Buddhist (in addition to being a PRACTICING lesbian) to desecrate the Blessed Sacrament. If anyone think that in the 2000 years since the Catholic Church has been giving Communion, that they should and have been giving it to anyone on any terms, then they are incredibly ignorant.

[SkreetGil1]

07:29 PM on 03/15/2012

Why do people go to this church and support this hateful behavior.

Walk away. Don't give them money and maybe they will go away.

[rmendoza58]

04:37 PM on 03/15/2012

Here is an opinion on the matter from Edward Peters, an actual specialist in Canon Law and an attorney. Mr. Peters seems to assert that Fr. Guarnizo did not have the right to deny communion to Ms. Johnson. His opinion is well reasoned, supported by specific references to the Code of Canon Law, and therefore has what appear to be very sound conclusions (at least to a lay person like myself):

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/

[Arlene Jara Strickland]

10:53 PM on 03/16/2012

Mendoza, your link is most helpful.

Several other canonical law experts on other sites have weighed in and agree that Guarnizo did not have the right ACCORDING TO CANONICAL LAW to deny Ms. Johnson communion. That is, in part, why the diocese stepped in and put him on administrative leave.

Any lay person who thinks they know the law and pontificates about "mortal sin" and "state of grace" and "lesbians being unworthy" and "Johnson was a Buddhist so she is ineligible to receive the sacraments" simply don't know and/or understand the complexities of canonical law regarding who is eligible to receive communion and how a person who presents himself or herself for receipt of the sacrament is to be treated.

Another interesting piece of info has emerged. Guarnizo is a priest of the Diocese of Moscow, Russia—not of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He came to the U.S. to "practice his vocation" several years ago. He is sort of a "priest on horseback," who rides the circuit to fill in when the parish priest and his staff can't. Or is he? (Duh-da-da-duhhhhhhh)

As different folks come forward to provide details, this story becomes more disturbing. Even his own explanations of the events, published elsewhere, are a self-condemnation of his actions.

[Hrover]

03:13 PM on 03/15/2012

Out of sight out of mind. The bigger problem, the church and all religions hate gay people.
And by hating gay people it brings in alot of money to their churches.

[Truthbrigader1]

06:46 PM on 03/20/2012

Since WHEN is it "hate" to warn people of impending peril if they continue on their present path.? All you who defend a lifestyle or an act of perversion which is an "abomination" in the eyes of our perfectly Holy, Just, yet Loving God, evidently do NOT Love that person. What Jesus did preach, from the 1st day of His ministry to the last was basically "Repent, or perish", not with the phony "Oh, you can do whatever you feel is OK - It doesn't matter...", but in real Love as He told the woman caught in the act of adultery - "Go, and SIN NO MORE." He preached "Repent"= "Turn, change directions - away from Sin, toward God and His righteousness." You call this "hate", saying "Jesus was wrong - WE don't have to change the way we live." You will find out how wrong you were when you face HIM on that "Great and terrible Day of Judgement" (You will likely be grovelling in your shame on the ground begging for mercy. THEN it will be too late.) He tells us "Every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus IS LORD." PLEASE, I Love you. Turn to Jesus with your whole heart and life, ask Him to forgive your pride and rebellion against Him. He WILL forgive you of your sins, and give you real true Joy and Peace and assurance that you, now, truly have Heaven to look forward to.

[Hrover]

02:45 PM on 03/22/2012

First, I do not have a lifestyle. Second, all I can say what you wrote is WTF.

[Lionel Andrades]

11:34 AM on 03/15/2012

Eucharist is not to be given to the Quaker, Lutheran, and Buddhist since they are outside the Church

If a Quaker, a Lutheran or a Buddhist, desiring communion had introduced himself as such, before Mass, a priest would be obligated to withhold communion. If someone had shown up in my sacristy drunk, or high on drugs, no communion would have been possible either. If a Catholic, divorced and remarried (without an annulment) would make that known in my sacristy, they too according to Catholic doctrine, would be impeded from receiving communion. This has nothing to do with canon 915. Ms. Johnson’s circumstances are precisely one of those relations which impede her access to communion according to Catholic teaching. Ms. Johnson was a guest in our parish, not the arbitrer of how sacraments are dispensed in the Catholic Church.- Fr. Marcel Guarnizo, Archdiocese of Washington D.C

The Eucharist is not to be given to the Quaker, Lutheran or Buddhist. Since outside the Church there is no salvation. They are outside the Church. They are not saved.

Fr. Marcel Guarnizo could have been endorsing the rigorist interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. The same interpretation of Fr. Leonard Feeney, the Church Fathers, popes, Councils, Catechisms, Vatican Council I and II and Michael Voris at Real Catholic TV.com.

-Lionel Andrades

http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2012/03/eucharist-is-not-to-be-given-to-quaker.html

[rmendoza58]

04:34 PM on 03/15/2012

I think that your interpretation of Canon Law is incomplete. Here is an opinion from Edward Peters, an actual specialist in Canon Law and an attorney. Mr. Peters seems to assert that Fr. Guarnizo did not have the right to deny communion to Ms. Johnson. His opinion is well reasoned, supported by specific references to the Code, and therefore has more sound conclusions:

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/

[Arlene Jara Strickland]

11:09 PM on 03/16/2012

Keep at it Mendoza, you are correct. Ms. Johnson is a baptized Catholic and her interest in Buddhist philosophy does not preclude her from receiving the sacraments.

These comments are from Deacon Greg Kandra, Diocese of Brooklyn: "There was apparently no mention of Johnson’s possible lesbian activism, her cohabitation status (if any), her degree of ‘alienation’ from the Church, or her possible involvement in Buddhism.

"There is no reason to doubt but that Johnson was baptized Catholic and there is no evidence that she ever proffered an “act of formal defection” (when such were possible) or has been found guilty of a canonical crime such as apostasy (c. 751, 1364).

"Notwithstanding some unguarded talk about no one having the right to receive holy Communion, canon law provides a complex of norms that upholds the faithful’s fundamental rights—rights ultimately conferred by Christ through His Church—to receive the sacraments. Cappello, DE SACRAMENTIS (1945) I: 361."

There are additional extended comments – www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/ - but few want to slough through the law, cuz that's so boring.

Many simply want to hold onto their smug, prejudiced and incorrect beliefs. As the Deacon stated in his continuing posts, "Fr. Marcel Guarnizo’s statement evidences misunderstandings of several aspects of Catholic law on the administration of holy Communion and confirms my sense that Guarnizo erred in withholding holy Communion in this case. Regarding those errors, I believe that he, and those inclined to support or even imitate him, need correction."

[freedom1947]

10:49 AM on 03/15/2012

Guido Sarducci he's not.