Catholic Priest Denies Lesbian Communion in Mother’s Funeral

Barbara Johnson, 51, an art-studio owner in the District of Columbia, on Saturday 25th February 2012, felt embarrassed, insulted, humiliated and discriminated against, when in her mother’s funeral, was refused communion by the presiding Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr Marcel Guarnizo.

The incident which took place at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, has since then caused serious reactions from people, especially, gay right activists.

Deep in grief, Barbara Johnson stood first in line for Communion at her mother's funeral. But the priest in front of her immediately made it clear she would not receive the sacramental bread and wine because he had learned of their relationship just before the mass. "He put his hand over the body of Christ and looked at me and said, 'I can't give you Communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin,' " she recalled last Tuesday.

Filled with sadness and sorrow, she demands that Fr Guarnizo be removed from pastoral life and she vows to fight for it. In a mail to the priest, she wrote: "You brought your politics, not
your God into that Church yesterday, and you will pay dearly on the day of judgment for judging me, "I will pray for your soul, but first I will do everything in my power to see that you are removed from parish life so that you will not be permitted to harm any more families."

Meanwhile, the auxiliary bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. Barry Knestout wrote an apology letter to the victim regretting the lack of pastoral sensitivity on the part of the priest, see the full text of the letter below:

For more details, click here