Rev. Marcel Guarnizo Update

According to MSNBC:

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.”

To read the full story, click here.

Today's Wash comPost - Two Unusual Catholics

Today's Washington comPost (by Michelle Boorstein) runs a story called: 2 unusual Catholics spark firestorm.

Now, you can read it as well as I can, but I want to point out a couple of things that struck me from the story:

1. "2 unusual Catholics" First, many of us, even though Canon Law may indicate she is legally a Catholic, do not consider Barbara Johnson "Catholic." There will be those of you who say that is not for you to determine. Okay, fine. But I am not living in an active lesbian relationship, according to Buddhist teachings. She has done this for a number of years. I think that this is persistent and really puts her outside of being a faithful Catholic.

2. Just because Barbara Johnson received Holy Communion once before in 2008, does not mean she she has the right to receive it again. That is not how it works Ms. Boorstein and Ms. Johnson.

3. Regarding the comment from Fr. Reese on Fr. Marcel. I think we should send Fr. Reese to Moscow and keep Fr. Marcel. (See the poll on the side.)

4. Finally, and I think that this is the most telling line in the story. Remember, Barbara Johnson's own words in her paper at Kutztown College (that she was a lesbian and Buddhist):

"Johnson had returned to her alma mater, Elizabeth Ann Seaton High School to teach art, a move she said was part of a process of coming back to Catholicism ON HER OWN TERMS." (my caps)

Notice here what we have:

A. That she is willing to lie about her life to make her the victim; and,

B. She wants to be a part of Catholicism on her own terms and not that of the Church. Sorry, Ms. Johnson, it does not work that way.

Here is the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/denying-communion-a-priest-and-a-lesbian-set-off-a-catholic-culture-clash/2012/03/15/gIQA9roNJS_story.html?hpid=z3

PS: Did you notice that Barbara Johnson sat right behind Gov. O'Malley (a Gonzaga HS graduate) promoting and celebrating same-sex marriage. What an insult to Catholicism it is by both of them.

Fr. Marcel Tells His Side of the Story

Here are the facts: On Saturday February 25th I showed up to officiate at a funeral Mass for Mrs. Loetta Johnson. The arrangements for the Mass were also not my own. I wish to clarify that Ms. Barbara Johnson (the woman who has since complained to the press), has never been a parishioner of mine. In fact I had never met her or her family until that morning.

The funeral celebration was to commence at 10:30a.m. From 9:30 to 10:20, I was assigned to hear confessions for the parish and anyone in the funeral party who would have chosen to receive the sacrament.A few minutes before the Mass began, Ms. Johnson came into the sacristy with another woman whom she announced as her “lover”. Her revelation was completely unsolicited. As I attempted to follow Ms.Johnson, her lover stood in our narrow sacristy physically blocking my pathway to the door. I politely asked her to move and she refused.

I understand and agree it is the policy of the Archdiocese to assume good faith when a Catholic presents himself for communion; like most priests I am not at all eager to withhold communion. But the ideal cannot always be achieved in life.
In the past ten days, many Catholics have referenced canon 915 in regard to this specific circumstance. There are other reasons for denying communion which neither meet the threshold of canon 915 or have any explicit connection to the discipline stated in that canon.

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.

In all of the above circumstances, I would have been placed in a similar uncomfortable position. Under these circumstances, I quietly withheld communion, so quietly that even the Eucharistic Minister standing four feet from me was not aware I had done so. (In fact Ms. Johnson promptly chose to go to the Eucharistic minister to receive communion and did so.) There was no scandal, no “public reprimand” and no small lecture as some have reported.
Details matter. Ms. Johnson was not kneeling when she approached for communion, she did not receive the cup as the press has reported she has stated. It is the policy of St. John Neumann parish never to distribute under both species during funerals.

During the two eulogies (nearly 25 minutes long), I quietly slipped for some minutes into the sacristy lavatory to recover from the migraine that was coming on. I never walked out on Mrs. Loetta Johnson’s funeral and the liturgy was carried out with the same reverence and care that I celebrate every Mass. I finished the Mass and accompanied the body of the deceased in formal procession to the hearse, which was headed to the cemetery. I am subject to occasional severe migraines, and because the pain at that point was becoming disabling, I communicated to our funeral director that I was incapacitated and he arranged one of my brother priests to be present at the cemetery to preside over the rite of burial. Furthermore as the testimony of the priest that was at the cemetery conveys, he was present when the Johnson family arrived, and in fact mentioned that being called to cover the burial rite is quite normal, as many priests for reasons much less significant than mine (rush hour traffic for example) do not make the voyage to the cemetery. He routinely covers for them. This change in plans, was also invisible to the rest of the entourage. Regrets and information about my incapacitating migraine were duly conveyed to the Johnson family.

I have thanked the funeral director and the priest at the burial site, for their assistance that day. Mrs. Loetta Johnson was properly buried with every witness and ceremony a Catholic funeral can offer. I did not and would not refuse to accompany Barbara Johnson and her mother to the cemetery because she is gay or lives with a woman. I did not in any way seek to dishonor Mrs. Johnson's memory, and my homily at the funeral should have made that quite evident to all in the pews, including the Johnson family.

To read the full story, go here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/priest-removal-from-ministry-was-tied-to-communion-incident/

Barbara Johnson Used Her Mother's Funeral to Promote her Gay Agenda

If you listened to Barbara Johnson's story, it was one of true victimhood.

But, as you learn more about her and the truth comes out, you realize (and many of us did early on), that she was not telling the full truth.

She has been an open lesbian for over 25 years.

She is a Buddhist and not a lifelong Catholic.

She confronted Fr. Marcel before Mass.

She received communion from the layperson, who had no idea what had taken place and the background.

And on and on...

Let's admit it. She used her mother's funeral to promote her radical pro-abortion and pro-homosexual beliefs.

She knew what she was doing, baited Fr. Marcel and the Archdiocese of Washington fell into the trap.

Barbara Johnson, I don't know how much lower you can go. You are the lowest of the low.

This is my opinion and I am sticking to it. More at Tom Peter's blog. http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=27899

So much for being open minded & diversity loving...

As I wrote of the incident in St. John Newman, not once did I (and anyone who commented that I can remember) called Barbara Johnson any sort of derogatory name. No one called her "faXXot" or "cXXX" or any other name. We simply explained that she was ineligible to receive communion due to her lifestyle.

So, the following comment is posted and seems to be pretty typical of those who keep speaking of tolerance, open mindedness, accepting of different lifestyles, etc. They are no better than Stalinists.

So, to Barbara Johnson and those who support her, here is one of your own, showing how open minded and tolerant of others he/she/it is. You must be really proud of this person, as he/she/it represents you and how you treat others. And, how you expect them to treat you.

+++++++

Blogsmith-- Do me a huge favor and go fXXX yourself. Johnson is an absolute saint-- not only did she guide me through an extremely tough time in my life, but she also shaped my entire future. She changed my perspective on art-- on life... she has a fire like no other inside of her that schmucks like you DREAM of having in your pathetic, boring life. New rules, cXXXksXXXXXs. Your horribly inconsistent, older-than-dirt book of arid FARTS won't hold power over this nation for long. Your history of hatred, prejudice, self-gilt-- all that bullshit-- won't be sticking around. So enjoy your pasty-old Emperor Palatine while he can still stand on his arthritis-ridden feet.

From LifeSite News: Inside Sources on What Happened

It seems that as more and more of the story comes out, I think many of us will agree that Fr. Marcel was within his rights to do what he did.

Too bad this will never get out to the mainstream media.

No Comments will be posted at this time.

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...the priest was confronted by Johnson for the first time moments before Mass began. She was reportedly agitated by the fact that the funeral was being presided over by Fr. Guarnizo, who is well known for his outspoken defense of Church teachings. The priest has been on the front lines of local pro-life activism, leading prayer vigils at Dr. LeRoy Carhart’s late term abortion facility in Germantown.

Johnson initially came into the sacristy to discuss the details of the two eulogies that were supposed to be delivered, but left abruptly and returned with her brother and another woman, whom she introduced as her “lover.”

Following this introduction, Johnson made a second abrupt exit, this time with her lover reportedly blocking the door in an apparent attempt to prevent any further conversation between Fr. Guarnizo and Johnson.

To read all, please go to LIFESITE NEWS: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/exclusive-inside-sources-provide-new-info-on-priest-censured-for-denying-le

The Importance of Communion from the Archdiocese of Washington

This is one of the points I have been making since the start of this event....

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From today's Washington's comPost:

As Catholics present themselves for Holy Communion, the priest or delegated minister says, “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ.” The communicant responds, “Amen.” This brief interaction expresses a much deeper reality of the belief in what the Church teaches about the Eucharist, the proper disposition of the one receiving Communion and the pastoral charity of the priest.

As Catholic Christians, we believe that the Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus Christ. It is not just a symbol, a wafer or a cup of wine. Jesus is truly present - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Because of this we believe that to receive Communion, a person should be in the state of grace, which means that they are not conscious of having committed a sin serious enough that it ruptures their relationship with God. As with any relationship, it is not just a one-sided judgment that determines what hurts the relationship with God. This determination is based on what the Church teaches objectively from sacred Scripture and tradition of Christian experience. If a person is conscious of having committed a grave sin, he or she may not receive Communion until they have received absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A person who is conscious of grave sin but has no opportunity to go to Confession may receive Communion for a serious reason, but first that person must pray to Christ expressing their sorrow, also known as a perfect act of contrition, and have the intention of going to Confession as soon as possible.

The priest has an obligation to make sure that the sacraments are respected, and any person who obstinately perseveres in manifest grave sin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion. Ideally, the priest will handle such a situation pastorally by discussing the consequences of such sin with the person privately before actually denying them Communion.

The Archdiocese of Washington recognizes that the prime obligation to determine one’s preparedness to receive Communion falls to the persons who are presenting themselves for Communion. In extreme cases where someone has been formally excommunicated or is trying to use the Eucharist to make a political statement it is appropriate to consider denying Communion. The reception of the Eucharist is a blessing and a grace. We should receive Jesus with the intention of becoming more like him. No one is entitled to the Eucharist. It is a free gift and should be received with humility and reverence.

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/barbara-johnson-and-the-importance-of-communion-a-statement-from-the-washington-archdiocese/2012/03/01/gIQAWeiikR_story.html?hpid=z5

Fr. Marcel Guarnizo has been thrown under the bus for following Canon Law 915!

Note: No further comments will be allowed. Thank you.

According to a statement by the Archdiocese of Washington:

conceded that Father Marcel had acted improperly, saying, “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.

The issue here is not the priest but Barbara Johnson.

Here is what I wrote on Deacon Greg's Blog:

If, as Barbara Johnson says that she is a “lifelong Catholic,” then she should have known that her relationship is sinful, that she was not in a state of grace, and SHOULD NOT have presented herself before the priest for Holy Communion.

The blame here is not on the priest, but on Barbara Johnson.

Now, the priest knows that she is living this immoral lifestyle and has to make a decision. Give her Holy Communion and himself commit a sin (and the theologians out there will probably correct me) or do what is correct.

Cardinal Wuerl has thrown this priest under the bus. Once again, he is more worried about the political and public relations damage, than about the mission of the Church.

Now, in addition, and more importantly, Fr. Guarnizo was following Canon Law, which states:

Canon 915: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."

Once again, Cardinal Wuerl has thrown a faithful priest under the bus and has caused scandal to the Church.

No wonder why we are losing the battle over same sex marriage.