March 12, 2012
The Archdiocese of Washington suspended Fr. Marcel Guarnizo from ministry late last week, citing his intimidation of parishioners. Guarnizo landed on the archdiocese's -- and the nation's -- radar screen when he denied Communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral.
I have no inside information about why the archdiocese took the step it did, but I am betting that his decision to deny Communion led them to look more closely at the priest, and they found other instances of a troubling lack of judgment. Guarnizo is not a priest of the archdiocese, so they can cut him loose fairly easily, but I wonder if any other bishop would take him in at this point.
