Was Fr. Guarnizo targeted?

I didn't want to get into this one, but -- surprise! -- it turns out the original Washington Post story, curiously placed on the front page, about the lesbian who was refused Holy Communion at her mother's Catholic funeral, left out a few rather important facts and falsely misrepresented others. In other words, it was bogus. (If they've retracted or corrected, please send me the link.)

It's important to correct the record in defense of Fr. Marcel Guarnizo, who is being persecuted. If you want to follow the story, start with the Post, then read LSN's Archdiocese of Washington reprimands priest for denying communion to a lesbian, followed by Lesbian denied Communion at her mother’s funeral is also a Buddhist. 

Fr. Z smells a rat:

While it is possible to discuss whether can. 915 was properly applied, the oddest part of the incident raised the question of why this lesbian would go to the priest, Fr. Marcel Guarnizo, in the sacristy and share with him the fact of her lesbian activity and her intention to go to Communion.

Tom Peters, the young papist, has a good post on the woman in question.  It includes a confirmation of the fact that she is also a self-identifying Buddhist.  And she is apparently pretty eager to tell people about herself.

All this against the backdrop of legislation for same-sex unnatural unions in the state of Maryland where it all took place.

So, we circle back to the strong possibility that the priest was targeted, set up. So, though it is speculation, it appears that she could well have instrumentalized her dead mother to set a trap, knowing that press would find it all very juicy, in order to push her agenda.

Some might call me overly suspicious.

As a chaser, read the Post's Michael Rosenwald, who, in spite of his apparent woeful ignorance about the nature of the Eucharist or Catholic teachings on who can and cannot receive it worthily, and why, gets on his high horse and goes after Fr. Guarnizo where he lives. Like contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortifacients, reception of the Body of Christ is not a "right." The Obama administration hasn't gotten around to correcting that yet.

Mr. Rosenwald also directs us to the following video of Fr. Guarnizo speaking outside Leroy Carhart's charnel house in Germantown, Maryland. I think we're suppposed to be outraged. I am, but not at Father G., who is absolutely right when he calls Carhart the "butcher of Germantown." See our posts on Carhart here, and in particular my take on the Post's disgusting 2011 tribute to him here.

The video:



You can read about the case of 19 year-old Christin Gilbert here. 

See also Patrick Archbold, Thomas Peters, and Don Surber on the controversy.

Many thanks to Pew Sitter for linking.
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