One Courageous Priest

Look it up: Saint Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius

From MSNBC:

Barbara Johnson knew last Saturday, the day of her mother’s funeral, would be difficult. But she and her lesbian partner of 20 years had no idea that the priest at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Md., would be a source of her grief. ...

The day, already tense, was about to get significantly worse. Johnson said the priest denied her Communion at her own mother's funeral, telling her he couldn't give it to her because she was gay.

When it came time to hand out bread and wine, Guarnizo “issued a strong admonition that only Catholics in a state of grace can receive Communion,” Johnson told msnbc.com. “I went up. I was standing next to my mother’s casket and he covered the bowl, and said, ‘I cannot give you Communion because you are with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.’ I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for – I don’t know how long.” ...

When asked how she identifies herself religiously, Johnson told msnbc.com, “I’m a Catholic. I’m deeply influenced by eastern religion philosophy and the nonviolence of Gandhi and the Dalai Lama along with my church upbringing.”

Where to begin with this sad example of journalistic flotsam? The slanted presentation of this story, depicting Father Guarnizo as the villain, is utterly shameless. There is obviously no knowledge in the head of the writer or the alleged victim in the story of Church teaching on the question of worthy reception of the Eucharist. It's embarrassing.

"to hand out the bread and wine..." Someone, stop the bleeding! The ignorance of the Catholic faith is simply astounding. Someone cue the reporter covering this story, and a lot of Catholics for that matter, as to what we really believe about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the proper disposition for receiving the Blessed Sacrament. When did the casual reception of Holy Communion become an absolute right for anyone to receive at will? As a friend of mine recently observed, "It used to be that few received Communion and lots went to Confession. Now, few go to Confession and yet everybody receives Communion."

Secondly, no one is denied Communion solely because he or she deals with same sex attraction. It has to do with one's active lifestyle. Again, this is simply basic Church teaching that, unfortunately, is routinely misrepresented by a lazy, slapdash media.

Father Guarnizo, in a general manner that didn't single out anyone, warned those in attendance beforehand that only Catholics in the state of grace should receive Communion, so the fact that the "deeply influenced by eastern religion philosophy" Johnson felt singled out is her own fault for arrogantly disobeying the priest's general admonition and for daring to attempt to receive Christ in the state of mortal sin, a state which again is due to her active, public and immoral lifestyle. The priest protected her soul from committing a grave sacrilege. She should be thanking him and he should be applauded.

Apparently, the diocese issued a statement of regret over the handling of the incident, representing a pitiful act of capitulation, as Father Guarnizo behaved heroically to defend the integrity of the Blessed Sacrament. One might disagree over how he said this or that (I don't), but the act of denying Communion to someone living in grave public sin in and of itself was perfectly sound, rooted in centuries of Church history and theology. If someone doesn't agree with the Church's teaching on faith and morals he or she can at least do the respectful thing and refrain from partaking in the Sacrament that is supposed to represent a Catholic's full communion with the entire Church and all of her teachings.

Father Guarnizo deserves three cheers from faithful Catholics instead of the bile and vitriol he's receiving from an anti-Catholic and pugnacious press, as well as the venomous hatred from the desperadoes in the militant homosexual lobby.