Faith Leaders Respond To Catholic Priest’s Denial Of Communion To Lesbian Parishioner

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

The National Religious Leadership Roundtable, convened by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, responded to the action by a Roman Catholic priest who denied communion to a lesbian parishioner at her mother’s funeral in Maryland this past weekend.

Father Marcel Guarnizo of Gaithersburg’s St. John Neumann Catholic Church denied communion to Barbara Johnson. “I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin according to the church,” he was quoted by Johnson as saying. The priest also left the altar while Johnson delivered a eulogy and did not attend the burial.

Earlier this week, Johnson received a letter of apology from the Rev. Barry Knestout, one of the archdiocese’s administrators. Archdiocese officials also released a statement saying that the priest’s actions were against “policy.” But while Johnson appreciates the apology, she is calling for Guarnizo to be removed.

Read the whole story at The Task Force Blog

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Image courtesy of The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force