Archdiocese Of Washington Displays Its Cowardice

Here are some offerings of the "lamebrain mainstream" media regarding the funeral incident last Saturday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-archdiocese-denying-communion-to-lesbian-at-funeral-was-against-policy/2012/02/28/gIQAlIxVgR_story.html

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/193305/158/Gaithersburg-Priest-Involved-In-Funeral-Controversy

By the way - as you listen to that second one, notice two things.  At the 00:45 mark, you'll hear that "Father Guarnizo apparently learned that Barbara was involved in a romantic relationship with another woman.."  Conveniently omitted was how Father came to learn of this.  Just before the ceremony, in the sacristy, Barbara walked in as Father was vesting.  She introduced herself and "her lover" (yes, her words).  They did not give him opportunity to speak with them about Church policies for reception of Communion.  However, as is standard practice during weddings and funerals (for the  benefit of non-Catholics in attendance), he did announce the Church's requirements - making plain that the gay relationship disqualified them from such reception.

At the 00:58 mark, it is announced that she is a "lifelong Catholic and former Catholic school teacher".  It defies all common sense to pretend that she didn't know that she was ineligible to receive Holy Communion under her freely-chosen circumstances.  

I know that Father Guarnizo went to the chancery offices and explained what had happened.  You can see a summary of that embodied in my previous post.  None of that seemed to matter to the chancery officials - many of them turn a blind eye themselves when the Pelosi-and-Biden types strut up for Communion.  They cringe at the thought of the slightest criticism from the mainstream media, and their courage collapses like a house of cards if the liberal media so much as looks cross-eyed at them.  

Thus we see that Bishop Barry Knestout, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, threw Father Guarnizo under the bus by issuing this groveling "apology" to Ms Johnson.  In the second paragraph, the bishop claims that Ms Johnson did not experience "kindness" and "charity" from Father Guarnizo.  I beg to differ - and that difference hinges on what constitutes "kindness and charity".  It would NOT have been "kind" of Father Guarnizo to facilitate for Ms. Johnson the mortal sin of sacrilegious Holy Communion.  And just what did Bishop Knestout think would have been the "pastorally sensitive" thing to do?   Canon 915 lays it right out there.  This apology is not only an attempt to appease those who embrace dissidence from Church teachings, but is also an attempt to justify the archdiocese's own fecklessness in the face of their obligations to obey Canon 915.  The yap and yammer about "pastoral sensitivity" is mere smoke and mirrors to excuse their own disobedience to Church law.

I understand that there is talk of transferring Father Guarnizo elsewhere or even asking him to leave the archdiocese.  Barbara Johnson made plain her intention to have Father Guarnizo removed from parish life in this diocese.  I regret to say that the Feckless Ones within the DC chancery will leap to do her bidding in that regard.  But there might be a miracle.  Let us pray that someone in the DC pastoral center finds a backbone and realizes that his Sacrament of Ordination really means service to Jesus Christ even to martyrdom.  Perhaps they'll take some inspiration from Father Guarnizo.

Let us pray for all involved - particularly Barbara Johnson.  As much as the chancery has thrown Fr Guarnizo under the bus, it is she who has received the greatest disservice from the Archdiocese of Washington.

Please contact the Archdiocese.  Let them know that you take a dim view of their behavior.  If you haven't made a pledge yet to the Cardinal's Appeal, you might want to hold off on that for a while.