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New information on Cuenin
This isn’t exactly new, but it’s new to me. I don’t always get a chance to pick up The Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and have only just got around to seeing the September 30 issue. The editorial in that issue appropriately enough was about the resignation of Fr. Walter Cuenin.
What was interesting was that they provided a third reason for his resignation that I hadn’t seen published in any of the local media, either before or after. In addition to taking “Mass stipends in excess of that permitted by Canon Law and Archdiocesan statutes” and “Automobile expenses funded by the parish in excess of Archdiocesan policies for expense reimbursement,“ it also says he received “Compensation taken from both the parish and the Archdiocese for the same time period time during a sabbatical.“
I’d like to see Cuenin’s defenders justify that one. On the first two they claim that the parish wanted to give him extra and approved it (even though they have no authority to do so), but the third one is just plain double-dipping. I don’t care where you are or what organization you work for, drawing two salaries for the same work for the same time period is stealing.
The editorial also has some words for Voice of the Faithful and Council of Parishes and Boston Priests Forum, which have all leapt to Cuenin’s defense.
To some extent we are witnessing a double standard. Some parishioners at Our Lady’s, prominent public figures, and newspaper columnists have been among those at the forefront of those calling for accountability on the part of Church leadership throughout the clergy abuse crisis and now the parish reconfiguration process. Financial accountability has been a large part of that call.
How, then, can they reconcile calling for full accountability and financial disclosure on the part of the archdiocese while at the same time asking that violation of basic norms that apply to every priest in this archdiocese be overlooked?
A good question that all these people commenting on this blog or writing to newspapers (or sending me hate mail) have avoided. Why the double standard?
I also notice on the same page that the two letters to the editor in defense of Cuenin and extolling his virtues as a pastor come from people who don’t live in the parish or even in Newton. Interesting that despite all the talk of being so welcoming the people who actually live in the parish are such a small minority of those present.
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COMMENTS
“We encourage parishioners to welcome their new pastor, Father Christopher Coyne. Some have publicly criticized him for having served at one time as the spokesperson of the archdiocese. We invite those parishioners not to prejudge him but display the Christian charity and welcoming they say is a hallmark of Our Lady’s.“
hahaha . . . using their inclusiveness against them . . . priceless . . . O’Malley is fantastic!
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on 10/9/05 at 09:41 AM Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
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