BOSTON (MA)
Boston Globe
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | October 2, 2005
The many supporters of the Rev. Walter H. Cuenin long feared that archdiocesan officials would find a way to remove him as pastor of his Newton parish: There was his embrace of divorced Catholics and gays and lesbians, his emphasis on finding prominent roles for women, his sharp critique of the church hierarchy's handling of sexual abuse, and his activism in pulling together priests to call for the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F. Law.
But last week, the archdiocese ousted Cuenin not over a doctrinal or theological matter, but for alleged financial wrongdoing: accepting from his parish a leased Honda Accord and a $500 monthly stipend.
The forced resignation of Cuenin has heightened fears among many Catholics that the archdiocese, led by Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley but overseen on a daily basis by aides held over from Law's administration, is slowly purging from public ministry priests who are viewed as troublemakers.
Multiple interviews with priests, diocesan officials, and laypeople found no evidence for the most explosive allegation against O'Malley, that he is systematically removing from public ministry those priests who joined the history-making effort to force Law's resignation in December 2002.