Washington D.C., Mar 12, 2012 / 17:03 pm
A Maryland priest who recently denied Communion to a woman because of her lesbian relationship has been “placed on administrative leave with his priestly faculties removed” amid investigations of “intimidating behavior.”
A March 9 letter to priests of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. said that the decision was the result of “credible allegations” that Father Marcel Guarnizo had “engaged in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry.”
The letter did not mention Fr. Guarnizo’s Feb. 25 denial of Communion to a lesbian woman at her mother’s funeral.
The incident – which gained national attention – occurred at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Md., which falls within the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.