What kind of priest did the Archdiocese of Washington punish after complaints by a lesbian Buddhist that she wasn’t given the Eucharist? The kind of priest that’s credited with saving the life of a child. The kind of priest who prays in front of abortion clinics. The kind of priest who regularly confront late term abortionist Leroy Carhart.
Lately, I’ve been feeling so good about how the bishops have unanimously responded so strongly to the threat of religious liberty. But something like this reminds me of all the work that’s yet to be done in the Church.
Check out this speech by Fr. Guarnizo. And then weep that he’s the one being punished. And listen carefully to the introduction where he’s credited with bringing the parish together and saving the life of a child:
And here’s a sermon by Fr. Guarnizo on the horrors of abortion.
March 15, 2012 at 7:29 am
God bless Fr. Guarnizo!
March 15, 2012 at 11:24 am
God bless Fr. Guarnizo!
March 15, 2012 at 12:37 pm
God protect Fr Guarnizo. Thank you, Lord, for his great and steadfast witness, especially under persecution. It is the sacrifices of such holy men and women that save souls and keep alive the Church.
March 15, 2012 at 12:58 pm
I wish the archdiocese would be a bit more forthcoming on the "why" of his suspension. Surely they know that what WE see is a faithful priest, a leader, a priest that has simply done what he should have done – protected the Eucharist from sacrilege. Religious leadership is not the same as autocracy, and answering the question of "Why" is not outside the responsibility of a bishop. This is a teaching moment that seems to be being ignored.
March 15, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I don't know Fr. Guarnizo, nor do I know the "why" of his suspension. He might be an awesome priest. He might not be. But I do know that the Church has gotten it wrong about her saints throughout her history (see St. Gerard, St. Teresa of Avila, and many more). When we do the Lord's work, we sometimes can expect resistance from the places where it ought not come. Jesus experienced it. We should not expect to be treated better than He was treated.
March 15, 2012 at 2:09 pm
The shameful way Fr Guarnizo is being treated is living proof that no good deeds go unpunished by our bishops! God bless Fr Guarnizo!
March 15, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Once again, the Catholic bishops show they care more for PR and PC than truth.
Dr. Ken Craven
March 15, 2012 at 2:50 pm
I would again admonish people to remember two things:
1) None of us are fully aware of all of the facts in this case. We do know that Fr. Guarnizo is not an incarnated priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, he is an extern priest, and his faculties (even moreso than a incarnated priest) are at the pleasure of the Local Ordinary.
2) Fr. Guarnizo is free to speak about this case, whereas the Ordinary is limited in what he can say. There may be information that is limited to the internal forum that the Bishop or Archbishop simply cannot say. Canon Law and charity sometimes limit a Bishop, even from speaking the truth in public, to protect others involved.
We are being very quick to just Cardinal Wuerl and his auxiliary without all of the facts, and Fr. Guarnizo, as good a priest as he is, has chosen, rather than to be silently obedient and accept the decision of the Bishop, to make this a public fight.
Please, don't pass judgment without all of the facts. You don't have all the facts. I don't have all the facts. I am tempted to believe that r. Guarnizo is presenting the facts in a light most favorable to his case!
March 15, 2012 at 3:50 pm
This good priest is being "disciplined" because he is an orthodox priest who did what the bishops are to cowardly to do…..publicly uphold Catholic teaching. Yet a priest like Fr. Michael Phleger publicly denies papal authority, the authority of the bishops, advocates female ordination, makes up his own "Masses" and yet nothing is done. Why? Because #1 the bishops don't care, #2 they are terrified of public reaction. We must ask why the bishops constantly turn a blind eye to heresy and yet they bring the hammer down on orthodox priests. The answer is becoming clear that the bishops really don't have a problem with heretical teaching. Why else is heresy in the Church ignored or in some cases applauded.
March 15, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Deacon Keith – I am tempted to believe the ADW is presenting the facts in a light most favorable to them too! In his response, Fr. Guarnizo specifically asks the Archdiocese of Washington to stop conducting their war against him in the press. The Archdiocese has released letters and made statements concerning Fr. G; now he is making his own statement. We all know the bishops lied during the priest-teen age boy abuse scandal, we see this is another homosexual scandal where they are subject to blackmail – why shouldn't the bishops be lying here? Why is it the pro-life priests who are being silenced this election year – is it so the bishops can keep getting money from the federal government? Fr. Pavone's reputation has been blackened by a bishop and he is under house arrest in Amarillo – but no more information is forthcoming – what is the truth about him? There should be demonstrations at the archdiocese — not at HHS. Sebellius, like Kennedy, Biden et al is a bishop problem. It is not judging to show Fr. G's work and state the truth that he has been silenced like many faithful priests who minister to the flock, while dissenters and those like our pope who spend the poor's money commissioning their personal cologne are priests in good standing (hah)!
March 15, 2012 at 4:01 pm
@Deacon Keith – You just sort of proved my point about a teaching moment being missed. Has the Archdiocese issued a statement to the effect of your first 2 paragraphs?
We are under fire every day. Any person who gets up every day and goes out into this culture feels pummeled, beaten up, kicked around. We need visible leaders directly addressing visible problems – the ones we face each day as Catholics. We see a priest that actually stands up to the bullying of our culture – YAY! But then he is chastised and suspended and all we are left with is a WHAT!!!???
Yes, we should be patient. To a point. But patience, waiting, thinking that the bishops would take of the problem also gave us the sexual scandals of the 90s. HEY – WAIT A MINUTE!!! is not always out of line.
March 15, 2012 at 4:04 pm
"Please, don't pass judgment without all of the facts. You don't have all the facts. I don't have all the facts. I am tempted to believe that r. Guarnizo [sic] is presenting the facts in a light most favorable to his case!" –Deacon Keith
(1) Your admonition is duly noted. (obliged…)
(2) Q: Are you telling everyone to just "shut up" regarding the whole thing?
(3) Q: Is knowing "all of the facts" in this case the one and only de facto standard to make any judgment of the case, or can one make a judgment based on the preponderance of the evidence presented?
In His Mercy,
— Ian St. John
March 15, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Ah, now I understand why this priest is such an embarrassment to the diocese. He believes his faith is true.
March 15, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I like how being pro-life and orthodox is a bigger deal than being a pederast. Just saying.
March 16, 2012 at 1:02 pm
"I like how being pro-life and orthodox is a bigger deal than being a pederast. Just saying."
This is another example of liberal irrational attacks. This article was not about the current pedophile scandal……and newsflash it wasn't about many of the other challenges in the Church either. It was about a priest being persecuted for protecting the integrity of the sacrament. And for your further information it's "traditional and orthodox" Catholics who have been screaming for decades to rid the Church of all the filth that has crept in as a result of tolerating liberalism. I'm pretty sure that 99.99999% of traditional Catholics would love to rid the Church of all pedophiles as well as radical nuns and priests who in their arogance think they know better than the Pope or the saints. "Traditional" Catholics believe that the power of the keys was entrusted to Peter and his sucessors alone NOT to liberal stearing commitees. It's the liberal "Catholics" who have a real problem with rules or any teaching that they don't agree with. And it really is pathetic if you think about it. If you don't believe what the Church teaches then leave and join a church that you believe in. But no, liberals by nature are hateful people who will stop at nothing to destroy anything they decide is wrong.
March 16, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Write to our Papal Nuncio:
The address for the Papal Nuncio is:
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
3339 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. USA
Subject: Archdiocese of Washington
To Your Eminence Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano,
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States,
We Catholics continue to watch with amazement and sadness the deteriorating situation of the Catholic Church in the United States and other parts of the world. A trend in the United States which is also visible in other parts of the world has shown that faithful priests of the Holy Catholic Church are being treated unfairly and thrown out of ministry for upholding the Magisterial teachings of the Holy Catholic Church, while priests, religious, and nuns who are in open dissent against Magisterial teachings of the Church are treated with high esteem by the various Chanceries and their leadership.
In the matter of Barbara Johnson’s demand for the removal of Father Guarnizo, her demand is proof positive that she has an agenda to inflict her “political points of view”: abortion, lesbianism and the disregard for the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist on the whole of society.
I respectfully ask that you conduct a deep investigation into the situation of Fr. Guarnizo in the Archdiocese of Washington, as well as requesting an apostolic administrator for the Catholic Church in the United States who will oversee the various Archdioceses and religious communities.
In Christ,
Some of this letter is taken verbatim from Ed Peters call for letters at the Deacon's Bench blog. Write
March 16, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Well done, Mary de Voe!
March 17, 2012 at 3:17 am
What a gutsy man. A true man. No wonder he's being attacked by Satan. St. Michael protect this wonderful priest.
March 17, 2012 at 3:20 am
Perhaps someone should show the Vicar General and the Apostolic Nuncio those two videos.
March 17, 2012 at 3:27 am
Anonymous: Why assume Estase is a liberal? A true Catholic should be outraged that the Bishops turned a blind eye to the homosexual pederasts in their midst while they hound good priests like Fr. Guarnizo. What is irrational about that? And DON'T BADMOUTH THE HOLY FATHER. He's a good, holy man.