Card. Wuerl sticks up for Fr. Shaffer, George Washington University Chaplain

On the sidebar of this blog there is a feed of the Cardinal Newman Society.  I picked this up from their feed.  Go look at the sidebar!

Cardinal Wuerl Supports George Washington University Chaplain
April 18, 2013, at 10:06 AM | By Tim Drake |

Catholic News Agency reports that during a recent homily with George Washington University students, Archdiocese of Washington’s Cardinal Donald Wuerl expressed his support for Father Greg Shaffer, the chaplain who has faced hostility for upholding the Church’s teachings on sexuality.

“I want to offer a word of support and encouragement to your chaplain, Father Greg Shaffer…and to stand in solidarity with a good priest,” Cardinal Wuerl said on April 14.

Two homosexual students at the University have launched a campaign to oust the priest because he counseled that those with same-sex attraction should remain celibate.

“We propose the ways of the kingdom of God in terms that the world can understand and examine, in terms they may freely accept or reject,” said Cardinal Wuerl. “Even when they said to him you need to be current, you need to be contemporary, you need to be politically correct, you need to be with the times, Jesus did not say, ‘Oh, then, I will change my teaching.’”

Thank you for standing up for the freedom to speak our faith and thank you for standing up for your chaplain,” Cardinal Wuerl concluded. “God bless him and all of you.

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Fr Z kudos to Fr. Shaffer and Card. Wuerl.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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19 Comments

  1. Bob B. says:

    What about supporting Father Guarnizo last year for denying communion to the lesbian Buddist and ex-Catholic? I know the cardinal has publicly said that Canon 915 was meant to be enforced (?), but to support one priest over another for doing what they are supposed to do?

  2. Dr. K says:

    Very nice defense. Will Cardinal Wuerl offer one for Fr. Guarnizo, or has this good priest been banished to Siberia for refusing to administer Communion to a loud and proud lesbian couple?

  3. Liz says:

    So glad to hear this. We’ve been praying for Fr. Shaffer. God bless him!

  4. Athelstan says:

    I’m no fan of my current ordinary here in Washington, but…

    We should recognize it and laud it when our bishops do a good and worthy deed. And this is such a deed. Fr. Shaffer needs all the support he can get. Many thanks to Cardinal Wuerl for providing the moral support.

  5. The Drifter says:

    Maybe His Eminence has started to see the Roman writing on the wall.

  6. jhayes says:

    Dr. K, perhaps Moscow rather than Siberia.

    “Fr. Marcel Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, who was given a temporary assignment at St. John Neumann parish,” Chieko Noguchi Scheve, director of media and public relations at the Archdiocese of Washington, wrote in an email to msnbc.com. “That assignment period has ended and Father Guarnizo is no longer in ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington.”

    Dr. Peters has explained why Fr. Guarnizo’s action was wrong.

  7. WesleyD says:

    This news makes me quite happy.

    But it makes me unhappy that when a Prince of the Church publicly stands up and unequivocally supports a beleaguered priest, the first two comments on this blog criticize the cardinal for something unrelated. Jesus confronted those who wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery, but some orthodox Catholics want to throw stones at a cardinal caught doing something good, based on his past actions. I thank God that you guys don’t know my past misdeeds.

  8. Hank Igitur says:

    I hope Cardinal Weurl will maintain this stance unflinchingly into the future.

  9. acardnal says:

    I know Fr. Guarnizo personally. He is a holy, orthodox priest. Cdl. Wuerl was wrong in my opinion for not supporting him; perhaps he did not support him because he was not incardinated into his archdiocese. He was not one of his priests. Instead, he believes, and has said publicly, that it is appropriate to give holy communion to pro-abort, pro-gay “marriage” politicians such as Biden, Pelosi, Kerry, et al, who have manifestly and publicly persisted in objective mortal sin.

  10. Boniface says:

    It took courage for Cardinal Wuerl to say this. Let’s support him.

  11. Bob B. says:

    Re: Fr. Guarnizo
    I went back and looked a few things from over a year ago and it still seems that Fr. Guarnizo was right. The lesbian friend is introduced to him as Ms. Johnson’s lover – some don’t think that this isn’t “manifest” and not enough to bar her from receiving communion? When it is put smack in your face, that’s not obvious (aka manifest)? Further, the letter removing Fr. Guarnizo was already written before he could offer a defense?
    I’m glad the cardinal is supporting Fr. Shaffer, as he should.
    What of the politicians who are supposedly Catholic, eminence?

  12. Stephen D says:

    ‘Cardinal Supports Priest For Teaching What the Church Teaches!’ What a headline. What a mess we are in.

  13. cheerios in my pocket says:

    Stephen D., well, Yes, but perhaps this is a glimmer of hope and it certainly is a step in the right direction! Thank you, Lord! Thanks Fr. Z! Thanks Cardinal Wuerl! Let’s hold each other in prayer and sacrifice.

  14. Athelstan says:

    I suspect that the tragic case of Fr. Guarnizo is a rabbit hole that our host may desire to close up.

    I’ll only say this: Even if you agree with Dr. Peters’ assessment of the case, it’s hard to say it was well handled by the chancery. It’s merely one instance among many why many of those of us who live out here have been frustrated with Cardinal Wuerl’s leadership – even as we keep him in our prayers.

    But this thread is about Fr. Shaffer. Cardinal Wuerl did not not have to go out of his way to lend public support for Fr. Shaffer, but he did so anyway, and with vigor. It was a laudable act, the kind of thing that bishops should do when their priests are embattled for upholding Church teaching. Especially given that it was on a subject where the Church is catching more heat now from the secular sphere (and from within!) than on any other.

  15. Eraser says:

    Cardinal Wuerl was our bishop for many years in Pittsburgh. He was one bishop who handled the abuse crisis well & in fact, his work was emulated in that regard. I am not surprised that he rose to the defense of a good priest whose only “crime” is confirming Church teaching. Commend him for that & stop criticizing him based on what happened in a completely unrelated case.

    I suspect he has a tough job in D.C. I have friends there & have visited often, and I was dismayed at the extent of heteroxy, dissidence, etc. in certain churches within that diocese. There are a lot of “proud & progressive” Catholics there & no faithful, orthodox bishop will ever please them.

  16. Juergensen says:

    jhayes says:

    “Dr. Peters has explained why Fr. Guarnizo’s action was wrong.”

    =====

    Dr. Peters over the years has said a few things that I find less than compelling. This is probably one of them.

  17. JMody says:

    Alright, haha, that’s funny. Now, “Your Eminence”, who are you REALLY and what have you done with the real Cardinal Wuerl?

  18. Pingback: Marriage & Same-Sex Attraction - Big Pulpit

  19. schmenz says:

    “Dr. Peters has explained why Fr. Guarnizo’s action was wrong.”

    Dr Peters, jlhayes, has done nothing of the kind, unless you are into playing the game of extreme mental gymnastics. Father Guarnizo acted bravely and properly, convoluted explanations to the contrary, and deserves honor and credit for doing so. And since the lesbian Buddhist in question, and her adoring media, are crowing over their victory to have him publicly humiliated, I believe that is sufficient reason to suspect that some of the judgments supporting Card. Wuerl are faulty.

    While anyone can applaud it when on those rare occasions a Bishop supports a good priest, we must never forget when they do precisely the opposite.

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