Speaking of Fr. Walter Cuenin, he is scheduled to speak at the annual Religious Colloquy of the Equality Forum, a group whose stated aims is opposed to the Church’s teachings. To quote from the colloquy’s mission:
The apparent conflict between religious fundamentalism and the modern world is often played out in anti-gay rhetoric. While some in the GLBT community simply turn off the television to avoid intolerant speech, others face antagonism from friends and family on a daily basis. This panel explores anti-gay fundamentalism and ways to respond to its adherents.
One guess as to the purported locus of anti-gay religious fundamentalism. Anyway, here is Cuenin’s brief bio: “Fr. Walter Cuenin is Catholic chaplain at Brandeis University. His unfailing advocacy on behalf of the GLBT community led to his removal as pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton, MA.” Really? Because the way I remember it, Cuenin was removed for financial irregularities at his parish, namely taking a stipend he wasn’t entitled to, among other things. But don’t believe me; he’s the one who said it when he gave his farewell homily.
Anyway, Fr. Cuenin preached at his parish this weekend for the last time. He didn’t celebrate the Saturday evening Mass, but did give a short statement during the homily outlining why he had resigned. He explained that he had been receiving a living expense stipend and car lease and insurance payments from the parish over and above what the rules and regulations of the archdiocese lay out.
So has he changed his story? Or have his partisans decided to edit history and turn him into a martyr for their cause?
Meanwhile, also on the docket for the Equality Forum, set to take place at the end of this month: “Same-sex Marriage as Sacrament” presented by Dignity/Philadelphia. Memo to participants: It’s not, whatever gay-friendly priests tell you.
Technorati Tags: Catholic | Boston | homosexuality | dissent |
The Lexington Minuteman editor,Bryan Mahoney,printed my letter in the opinion column,Brickbats and Bouquets, this past week( the next to last letter), which describes Fr. Walter Cuenin’s involvement in the implementation of the Companions program in 1999 and 2000. All of the evidence to support what I said, should be in the archives of the Moderator’s office of the Boston Archdiocese. If it is not there, then those people who wrote to Bishop Murphy to let him know what was really going on, have copies of the letters and articles. I also have copies.
Fr. Cuenin is trying to deceive Catholics now just as he did when he worked on the Companions program with, among others, Fr. John J. White, the co-owner of the Bed and Breakfast in Palm Springs,CA, with Fr. Paul Shanley ,and Paul Merullo(Globe4/8/02), who was arrested and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail for soliciting a 16 year old boy in 2000 and on 4 counts of child pornography.(Globe,(3/12/02). Fr. Cuenin’s intent in the Companions program is exactly what it is today,namely, to get catholics to support the way of PFLAG.Please read the letter in the Lexington Minuteman for a more detailed account.
The date of the Globe article reporting about Fr. John J. White was 4/8/02. It stated:“In January when the Globe reported Shanley’s long history of molesting teenage boys,White denied that he owned property with Shanley,until the Globe confronted him with property records.”
The date of the article reporting about Paul Merullo, Pastoral Associate to Fr. Phillip Earley,St. Thomas of Villanova parish, was 3/12/02:“Church worker is sentenced”.
Sorry for any confusion on the dates of these articles!
Here’s the link to Alice’s letter. As she said, it’s the next to the last letter:
http://tinyurl.com/3xra3y
It’s obvious that this guy should be excommunicated. Why doesn’t his bishop do it?
I have only heard Father Cuenin speak once, and that was at a Natick Parish Voice meeting held in the Natick public library in March 2005. The most memorable thing he said there was that priests were not needed for transubstantiation. He pointed out that priests were not available in the early Church, and he left the impression that he considers them to be similarly unnecessary for the Church today.
“The most memorable thing he said there was that priests were not needed for transubstantiation. He pointed out that priests were not available in the early Church, and he left the impression that he considers them to be similarly unnecessary for the Church today.”
I hope others who heard this were horrified.