New priest tells married gay couple they can not receive communion

[umgriz932001]

ktvq.com/news/lewistown-priest-to-gay-couple-no-communion-no-ministry-unless-divorced/ How have other parishes handled this?

 

[ServusHumilis]

How have other parishes handled this?

Hopefully the same way this one has.

 

[Sunflake9]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

 

[CaptFun]

ktvq.com/news/lewistown-priest-to-gay-couple-no-communion-no-ministry-unless-divorced/ How have other parishes handled this?

In this famous case, the Diocese actually seems to have come down hard on the priest who “denied communion” to a lesbian (who made a point of telling him she was in relationship with a lesbian partner before mass) on the occasion of her mother’s funeral.

It looked to me like a setup, as the priest was a popular anti-abortion speaker - and there was a threat of a lawsuit against the Diocese.



Fr. Marcel Guarnizo

Washington D.C., Jul 11, 2012 / 04:32 pm (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. says it no longer employs a priest who became known for denying Holy Communion to a partnered lesbian woman.

“Fr. Marcel Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, who was given a temporary assignment at St. John Neumann parish,” archdiocesan communcations director Chieko Noguchi Scheve said in a statement provided to CNA on July 10.

“That assignment period has ended and Father Guarnizo is no longer in ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington,” Scheve wrote.

Fr. Guarnizo declined to comment on the announcement from the archdiocese.

In February 2012, the priest drew national attention for withholding the Eucharist from Barbara Johnson at her mother’s funeral. Fr. Guarnizo made the decision after Johnson introduced him to her lesbian partner before Mass.

Johnson remained outraged after the incident, threatening to have Fr. Guarnizo “removed from parish life.” The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. apologized for his “lack of pastoral sensitivity” and said it was against policy for a priest to “publicly reprimand” a person approaching the sacrament.

In March, Fr. Guarnizo was removed from ministry in the archdiocese. The announcement of did not refer to Johnson, but cited “intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others.” Fr. Guarnizo defended his action, and said his removal from ministry was related to the funeral incident.

In a paper published online, Johnson had at one point identified herself as “a lesbian and a Buddhist.” However, she later told MSNBC that she is “a Catholic” who is “deeply influenced by eastern religion philosophy.” Her relationship with the Church, she said, is “complex.”

This thread’s story comes off as a bit anti-Catholic/pro-gay too. The whining about not being welcome I found hard to endure. They had been more than welcome, until they gave public scandal by “marrying”. That implies mortal sin in that the prohibited sexual activity
is somewhat trumpeted by taking this public stance.

The 27-year-old priest’s conditions of “welcome” to the couple were to write a statement to acknowledge marriage is between a man and a woman, which they did.

But then the young priest told the pair to divorce and separate.

“We’re not going to give up 30 years,” said Wojtowick. “I mean, this is my best friend for God’s sake. There’s just got to be some other way.”

At 72 and 66 they should be better friends to one another than to be occasions of sin to one another at an age when death can come like a thief in the night. Their young priest did well to confront them as their shepherd.

Even if the civil ceremony were JUST to take care of legalities like property between them (and somehow they were NOT having sex … the real issue per the mortal sin which separates them from communion (per sacrilege) or “part of any ministry”( good sense as their scandal is public and well known). In that they are recognized in the story as gay - chances are they have not decided to live celibate lives … and at this point had not divorced civilly.

They should be grateful their young priest is trying to get them to choose heaven instead of indulging their sin in their twilight years.

 

[MaryT777]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

Exactly. Now the preist as made it abundantly clear the teaching of the Church which I wonder, but do not know for sure, if they already knew as such.
Mary.

 

[mountee]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

I know what you mean but the truth is that people actually are so poorly catechized that they have no real idea of the Church teachings on many subjects. That is why many of us, including myself, need to take the time to understand and learn the teachings well so that we can inform anyone who wants to understand what the doctrine is and why it is.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

Do people actually think they did not know this? C’mon.

 

[ringil]

The priest made the only viable decision. I do hope he didn’t do it in the Communion line.

I also wish that the news wouldn’t pick up these stories.

 

[Powdered_Sugar]

I applaud this priest, and wish others would be willing to do the same. Good for him! Even if the homosexual… couple… wasn’t engaging in sexual actions, they are causing scandal by publicly taking part in the farcical nonsense that is same-sex “marriage.”

Now if we could just get the bishops to do the same for the politicians who support this and other gravely immoral things…

 

[Tigg]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

Honestly, the truth is all around us and not buried. There is, however, an affliction known as selective hearing.

 

[zz912]

Good for the priest. I hope more follow his lead. These are REAL souls we are talking about, and when priests or the laity refuse to teach, they put these souls at risk.

 

[Tigg]

The priest made the only viable decision. I do hope he didn’t do it in the Communion line.

I also wish that the news wouldn’t pick up these stories.

I’m glad these stories are published; it might be the more effective way to assimilate truth since the timid do not often preach it from the pulpit.

 

[umgriz932001]

We were informed this weekend from our father before Mass ended that one of the men was a priest. The media is just not commenting on that part. They are focusing on the “young” priest that was just assigned to that Parish. They say that half of the church quit attending, which is unfortunate. But I am sorta along the line of Pope Benedict about a smaller more devoted faithful church that a large cafeteria church (not that I think Pope Francis is wanting that). But the media seems to think that is what Pope Francis wants. The support online is the usual anti-Catholic people slamming the church (bringing up Pope Francis’ words about “who am I to judge”/the child molestation coverups) with quite a few good Catholic people defending the faith.
Me personally after hearing that one of the men is a priest, I am so angry at the media and actually at the men for bringing this to the media. It happened back in August, but we are getting the story right now. Maybe it is just that there is nothing going on in the news right now.
I’m praying for my diocese and for the Father Spearing and for Bishop Warfeul(sp) and for the two men and for the Parish to understand what Father Spearing is doing.

 

[Scottgun]

They say that half of the church quit attending, which is unfortunate. But I am sorta along the line of Pope Benedict about a smaller more devoted faithful church that a large cafeteria church (not that I think Pope Francis is wanting that).

Sadly, one of the most misunderstood comments by B16. People painted it like he wanted to boot people out of the Church. Not so. Rather, he meant that as the surrounding culture plunges more and more into the abyss, being authentically Catholic will be more difficult and personally costly and many simply will lack the will or desire to pay the price and leave.

But as someone else put it: the darker it gets the easier it is to see where the light is coming from.

 

[J_Peterson]

The Bishop stated: “Standing firm that marriage can take place solely between a man and a woman makes an irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society.”

But, the priest told them they must divorce. If the mariage can’t exist then they can’t get divorced, right?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Talk about minding your own business. It seems the only religion that the media treat as their little plaything to pressure into doing what they want to do is Catholicism. Why does they media care anyway? What business is it of theirs? If Catholicism is so backwards and not “with it,” it sure doesn’t seem like it based on the freakish amount of freaking out out publications do.

 

[JimG]

The Bishop stated: “Standing firm that marriage can take place solely between a man and a woman makes an irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society.”

But, the priest told them they must divorce. If the mariage can’t exist then they can’t get divorced, right?

Of course the marriage does not exist. They must get a civil divorce to acknowledge that fact, just as a tribunal would require a civil divorce before acknowledging the nullity of a marriage. The fact that they got a civil marriage was an attempt to pretend that such a marriage is possible.

 

[Scottgun]

The Bishop stated: “Standing firm that marriage can take place solely between a man and a woman makes an irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society.”

But, the priest told them they must divorce. If the mariage can’t exist then they can’t get divorced, right?

Well, I’d need to see his actual words to make sure, but basically yours is a good point. To be specific they would have to formally reject whatever insane legal fiat they got that made them think they were married.

 

[JimG]

Hard for me to believe that 2 people have been Catholic for 30 years and had no idea what the official teaching is on this subject. I just amazes me how poorly catechised people are.

I find it hard to believe as well; yet, anymore, nothing surprises me. The amount of ignorance of Catholic doctrine among Catholics is sometimes astonishing.

 

[ProVobis]

Talk about minding your own business. It seems the only religion that the media treat as their little plaything to pressure into doing what they want to do is Catholicism. Why does they media care anyway? What business is it of theirs? If Catholicism is so backwards and not “with it,” it sure doesn’t seem like it based on the freakish amount of freaking out out publications do.

I would guess because the Church is perceived as some rich entity and if they don’t do it quite their way, they are going to sue? No one goes after those without money or property.