Priest who denied communion to lesbian stripped of priestly faculties
GAITHERSBURG , March 12, 2012 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - The Maryland priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral is being stripped of his priestly faculties and “placed on administrative leave,” according to a letter from the Archdiocese signed by auxiliary Bishop Barry Knestout. Fr. Marcel Guarnizo was previously censured by the Archdiocese after denying communion to Barbara Johnson , who had reportedly introduced her lesbian “lover” to the priest in the sacristy right before her mother’s funeral Mass . Fr. Marcel Guarnizo According to a source close to the incident who spoke with LifeSiteNews, Johnson’s lesbian lover physically blocked Fr. Guarnizo from speaking further with Johnson when she abruptly left the sacristy following this introduction. When Johnson presented herself for Communion, the priest refused to give it to her, although she ended up receiving from an extraordinary minister. It was later revealed that Johnson is also a Buddhist. The Archdioc