NEWTON (MA)
Boston Globe
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | September 27, 2005
The Archdiocese of Boston, just days after ousting an outspoken critic of the Catholic hierarchy from the pastorate of one of the most vibrant churches in the region, has appointed the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, a chancery insider and former spokesman for Cardinal Bernard F. Law and Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley, to take his place.
Parishioners at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton, already furious over the forced resignation of their longtime pastor, the Rev. Walter H. Cuenin, said they were troubled by the choice because Coyne had been the voice of the church administration during the clergy sexual abuse crisis and the start of the parish closings process.
Cuenin, who had served two consecutive six-year terms as pastor of Our Lady's, announced last weekend that he was resigning after the archdiocese accused him of financial improprieties. The archdiocese said yesterday that Cuenin must now reimburse the church $75,000 to $80,000 for improper financial practices.
But parish leaders, including members of the parish and finance councils, said the archdiocese was selectively enforcing little-known policies. They said those lay-led boards had repeatedly approved the payments, including a $500 monthly payment from the parish for the performance of baptisms, weddings, and funerals, and the parish-financed lease of a Honda Accord that was shared with visiting priests. They also said they believed the arrangements to be fully in compliance with archdiocesan regulations and similar to arrangements at other parishes.
Last night, about 300 parishioners angered over Cuenin's ouster gathered on the front lawn of Our Lady's in the pouring rain, with candles flickering beneath umbrellas and then filed into the church basement where they planned to hold a vigil overnight. When parishioner Margaret Roylance called for ''the immediate reinstatement of Father Walter Cuenin," other members of the parish responded with raucous applause, tears, and foot stomping.
Parish leaders said they believe that Cuenin was targeted for ouster because he was a prominent leader of local priests who helped organize a letter calling for Law to resign, who reached out to gays and lesbians, and who frequently suggested that the church should at least discuss the possibility of ordaining married men and giving greater roles to women. The archdiocese denied that Cuenin was targeted for any reason other than financial improprieties.