In the beginning of Lent of 2012 Father Marcel Guarnizo, then parochial vicar of St John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg MD, withheld Holy Communion from a flagrantly practicing lesbian. I've chronicled that copiously on my blog; see the archives that deal not only with the incident but also the utterly contemptible manner in which the Archdiocese of Washington chancery dealt with the matter.
Today the Connecticut Catholic Corner blog gave an account of a Missouri priest, Father Benjamin Kneib. He also obeyed Canon 915 when he denied Holy Communion to a lesbian couple. In doing so, Father gave witness to the dignity of the Blessed Sacrament and prevented the couple from incurring the guilt of a sacrilegious Holy Communion.
Sadly it seems that many of the parishioners voiced sympathy to the two lesbians who had just been spared from committing another mortal sin. It seems that the two had been receiving Holy Communion quite openly. In other words, previous priests had been derelict in their sacerdotal duties. This is a parish that stands in dire need of some remedial catechesis and much prayer.
This happened at St. Columban Catholic Church in Chillicothe, MO. This http://www.stcolumbanonline.org/ is the website for the parish. Father Kneib is the adminstrator. Visit that site and leave Father a word of encouragement and thanks. We know from sad experience that the gay wasps and hornets will be buzzing about, spewing venom at him.
This blog publicly thanks you, Father Kneib!
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As long as the good righteous Father denies Communion to fornicators (including divorced, remarried Catholics) - and to their family members who look the other way (i.e. support their lifestyle) - I'm okay with the Good Father denying Communion to a lesbian in a committed relationship. If the Good Father chooses not to deny Communion to fornicators, then's he's just another hypocritical prick.
ReplyDeleteObviously a refresher on Canon 915 is needed. First I'll paste in the text:"Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."
DeleteThat's it. It's very simple and straight forward. In this situation, "manifest" is the operative word. This couple had been living in perversion quite openly. It was made plain in the obituary. Father Kneib, being rather new at the parish, was alerted by the obituary and contacted the couple. Now as far as the other grave sins that you mention, if they are committed in an obstinate and manifest way, I agree that they should be denied Holy Communion. Father Kneib probably needs some time to learn the "lay of the land" in his new parish.
I notice that in your litany of mortal sins, you neglected to mention open support of abortion, euthanasia and other intrinsic moral evils. I would have found that curious but I clicked on your "flood617" name and discovered some of your own interests.
Would you agree that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should be denied Holy Communion? He is quite the open fornicator, as well as a loud promoter of abortion and the gay lifestyle. I believe he should be, and I'm rather mystified at Cardinal Dolan's disobedience of Canon 915 in regard to this recalcitrant governor. So many others - Joe Biden, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi. In my own state, there's Martin O'Malley and Barbara Mikulski (to name a few) - all in need of the medicine of Canon 915, and their bishops are too cowardly to do their duty lest they lose political and financial favor.
As I mentioned I know you favor gay activist blogs. Perhaps that explains the vulgar potty-mouth talk in the last clause of your post. When one's morals are trash, such is reflected in choice of language. If in fact you yourself are involved in that lifestyle, I'd suggest that you get out asap and take that sin into the Sacrament of Confession; else you'll jeopardize your eternal salvation.