The rehab of Walter Cuenin

The rehab of Walter Cuenin

Independent and trusted sources in the Archdiocese of Boston tell me that Father Walter Cuenin, the disgraced pastor who openly has spouted dissent from Church teaching on sexuality for years and who resigned last year after admitting he took parish money he wasn’t entitled to, is getting a new assignment.

I’ve been told that he’s going to be named as a campus minister at Brandeis University, a Jewish institution. Among other things, Cuenin has been known for his interfaith activities.

So why is he getting a new assignment? Should the archbishop be putting an openly heterodox priest back into circulation, especially among 18-22 year-olds who are often already confused about morality and sexuality? Don’t forget that it was only a few weeks ago that Cunein was in upstate New York at a schismatic Catholic group being encouraged to begin his own schism here in Boston.

This smells of pragmatism, i.e. let’s throw a bone to the people at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton so they will stop protesting. He won’t be given a parish, so let’s give him a little assignment where he won’t do (too much) harm. Unfortunately, he will still retain the status of a priest in good standing with the archdiocese, a pulpit from which to spread his errors, and influence over a malleable audience of young people. If I were the parent of a Catholic student at Brandeis, I’d be very unhappy with the decision.

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