Father Marcel Guarnizo, Maryland Priest, Denies Communion To Lesbian Parishioner At Her Mother's Funeral

Father Marcel Guarnizo, Maryland Priest, Denies Communion To Lesbian Parishioner At Her Mother's Funeral

Germantown - 40 Days for Life - Fr. Marcel from Michael Martelli on Vimeo.

Posted: 02/27/2012 3:52 pm

A Maryland-based priest is garnering heat in the blogosphere today after allegedly denying communion to a lesbian parishioner attending her mother's funeral.

As The New Civil Rights Movement blogger David Badash is reporting, Father Marcel Guarnizo of Gaithersburg's Saint John Neumann Catholic Church reportedly covered the bowl containing the Eucharist as the woman, who is identified only as Barbara, approached him.

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

Badash quotes from an Addicting Info blog written by Ann Werner, who also notes, "To add insult to injury, Fr. Guarnizo left the altar when she delivered her eulogy to her mother. When the funeral was finished he informed the funeral director that he could not go to the gravesite to deliver the final blessing because he was sick."

Werner also notes, "I will tell you a little about the woman who drove that priest from the altar. She is kind, she is smart, she is funny and she works hard promoting the arts. She pays her bills, she cares deeply for her family and she loved her mother and her mother loved her right back. And now she will never set foot in a Catholic church again and who can blame her?"

Other bloggers seem to agree with Badash's assessment of Guarnizo. On Restore DC Catholicism, one reader notes, "We need to have a mass protest against this HYPOCRITE! He is one of these reactionary evangelical zealots who believe the pulpit is a place to condemn others and control public policy."

Alan Smithee wrote:It may have been a chicken shit thing for him to do but when you're in his ball park you play be his rules.

Rev. Marcel Guarnizo Suspended: Priest Who Denied Communion To Lesbian Barbara Johnson, Withdrawn For 'Intimidating Behavior'


Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, the priest who denied a lesbian woman communion at her mother's funeral, has been suspended.

Father Marcel Guarnizo, who until his recent suspension 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.



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