There are any number of news articles on this incident and while they don't fill in many of the details on the interaction between the priest and the daughter they do present some interesting background. There was, for example, an apology from the diocese with this comment:
When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person,
There's a bit of dissembling here starting with the term reprimand. As I understand it, the daughter was denied communion, not publicly excoriated. Based on prior comments and actions by Archbishop Wuerl, however, it does appear to be the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to give communion to anyone who asks for it and not enforce canon 915.
Other comments capture the nature of the dilemma the Church has created for herself.
A lifelong Catholic and former Catholic school teacher, Barbara says she hadn't even considered that her sexual orientation would be a problem with Father Marcel until she stepped forward to take communion.
There you have it: a lifelong Catholic was so badly catechized she didn't consider her sexual activities would be a problem. Actually, from her perspective that was perhaps a reasonable assumption inasmuch as (she claims) not to have been denied communion before.
This situation is not just appalling but is surely emblematic of much that has gone wrong with the Church in recent decades. I think the perspective most of the bishops have taken is perfectly summed up in a comment on this incident by a Methodist pastor who said: "When judgment trumps compassion the Gospel is lost."
Apparently the new great commandment is "Don't judge. Don't criticize. Don't stand for anything that makes people upset."
JMC
When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person,
There's a bit of dissembling here starting with the term reprimand. As I understand it, the daughter was denied communion, not publicly excoriated. Based on prior comments and actions by Archbishop Wuerl, however, it does appear to be the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to give communion to anyone who asks for it and not enforce canon 915.
Other comments capture the nature of the dilemma the Church has created for herself.
A lifelong Catholic and former Catholic school teacher, Barbara says she hadn't even considered that her sexual orientation would be a problem with Father Marcel until she stepped forward to take communion.
There you have it: a lifelong Catholic was so badly catechized she didn't consider her sexual activities would be a problem. Actually, from her perspective that was perhaps a reasonable assumption inasmuch as (she claims) not to have been denied communion before.
This situation is not just appalling but is surely emblematic of much that has gone wrong with the Church in recent decades. I think the perspective most of the bishops have taken is perfectly summed up in a comment on this incident by a Methodist pastor who said: "When judgment trumps compassion the Gospel is lost."
Apparently the new great commandment is "Don't judge. Don't criticize. Don't stand for anything that makes people upset."
JMC
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