Written: 3/31/2012
This makes me fucking insane. The fact that this kind of thing happens drive me up the wall and makes me just want to rage against every being in the Catholic hierarchy, as well as those that can’t understand my frustrations with the members of the Church that lets this continue:
Father Marcel Guarnizo, the cleric who presided over the ceremony, doesn’t like gay people: during communion he refused to give the grieving daughter a piece of the Eucharist. From The Advocate:
Barbara Johnson says that Father Marcel Guarnizo told her, “I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the church that is a sin.”
Denying Ms. Johnson the Eucharist apparently wasn’t enough for Fr. Guarnizo, who reportedly “left the alter” when Ms. Johnson delivered her mother’s eulogy, and later refused to attend the gravesite.
To deny someone, on one of the absolute saddest days of their lives the closure that they need, is horrific. He not only denied her communion, but refused to finish the funeral, not even going to the grave site. The priest has been suspended, but now is saying that his diocese is lying about the whole situation and he tries to let his bigotry stand.
So this was pretty bad. But it’s hardly any worse than anything the Vatican, or US Cardinals, do on a daily basis to gays, or to pro-choicers. How is the Catholic churches annual attempt at influencing the US elections on behalf of the Republicans, when they ban John Kerry, for example, from taking communion, any less “intimidating”? And it’s not intimidation when the Catholic church cuts off services to foster children in Illinois and DC than simply treat gay people fairly? Trying to influence legislation by abandoning needy kids isn’t intimidation? Talk to the kids the Catholic bishops used as their pawns. And let’s not even speak of the intimidation involved in aiding and abetting the rape of young children.
I know that there are good people out there who are Catholic, I can see how it can bring peace and good things to someone’s life. But I cannot understand how people can allow things like this to happen.
Update: You’ll notice that this is Part V, although I think I lost Part III. The others aren’t really ready to be published, they will take a lot more work, but I’ll be working on them eventually.
All my best,
The King of Spades
