{"id":15126,"date":"2012-07-10T07:33:57","date_gmt":"2012-07-10T13:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=15126"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:06:25","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:06:25","slug":"update-priest-who-denied-lesbian-communion-leaves-archdiocese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/07\/update-priest-who-denied-lesbian-communion-leaves-archdiocese\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Priest who denied communion to lesbian leaves archdiocese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Another chapter<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 perhaps the final one \u2014 in the saga<\/a><\/strong> that broke earlier this year:<\/p>\n

A priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother\u2019s funeral is no longer in ministry with the Archdiocese of Washington, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Monday.<\/p>\n

Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, who served at St. John Neumann parish in Gaithersburg, Md., was placed on leave in mid-March for engaging in intimidating behavior,\u00a0NBCWashington.com reported<\/a> at the time, and now he is leaving for good.<\/p>\n

\u201cFr. Marcel Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, who was given a temporary assignment at St. John Neumann parish,\u201d Chieko Noguchi Scheve, director of media and public relations at the Archdiocese of Washington, wrote in an email to msnbc.com. \u201cThat assignment period has ended and Father Guarnizo is no longer in ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n

When reached by telephone, Scheve declined further comment on the matter.<\/p>\n

Barbara Johnson, the woman who was refused communion, had been asking the archdiocese to remove the priest. A Washington Post reporter first noted on Twitter that Guarnizo\u2019s assignment was over.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more. <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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