US / communion Church Suspends Priest Who Denied Lesbian Communion But says punishment not connected to incident By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff Posted Mar 12, 2012 11:34 AM CDT Copied A priest who refused communion to a lesbian has been suspended. (Shutterstock) The priest who barred a lesbian from taking communion at her mother's funeral has been suspended from ministry, his archdiocese said in a letter, according to MSNBC. A pastor who read the letter at masses this weekend says the serious punishment wasn't tied to the communion issue but instead "pertains to actions over the past week or two," the Washington Post notes. The letter itself says Rev. Marcel Guarnizo was punished for "intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others." (More communion stories.) Report an error