A while back someone asked who were the four Catholic priests who testified before the Massachusetts Legislature against a bill that would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. One of those priests was Father James Keenan, SJ (of course), and his tortured twisting and selective pruning of Church teaching is something to behold. Here is his testimony in full:
I am Father James F. Keenan, S.J., a Roman Catholic priest and Professor of Moral Theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge. I am also the next Gasson professor at Boston College, (2003-2005). I received my doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
Father “Call-Me-Walter” Cuenin is also often quoted as a “Voice of the Catholic Church.” For his testimony, along with those of some interesting bedfellows, here you go:
http://www.massequality.org/cuenin.html
Fr. Richard Lewandowski,pastor of St. Camillus parish,Fitchburg, was another priest who gave testimony against the Marriage Amendment along with Fr. Walter Cuenin. Approximately a month ago he went on a medical leave of absence from his parish. I don’t know whether it was voluntary or required. He made the announcement to his parishioners at Mass before he left. Fr. Lewandowski was one of the priests, along with Fr. Walter Cuenin, who was involved in the Companions program which tried to get Catholics to join PFLAG and they ridiculed Courage/EnCourage. When some of us called the Worcester diocese and spoke to a Fr. Sullivan about Fr. Lewandowski, we were told that he was not supposed to be involved in that ministry since it supported the way of PFLAG.
So I wonder if he was finally asked to take a leave of absence. But I don’t know for sure why he left his parish. By the way, he was also the chaplain for the Fitchburg State Newman Club!
Also, the fourth priest who testified against the Marriage Amendment was Fr. Thoman J. Carroll from the Jesuit Urban Center. The JUC is presently supporting Sister Gramick’s ministry along with the Paulist Center and St. Anthony’s Shrine as can be seen on p,p,4&5 of the St. Anthony’s NOW issue from the Nov./Dec. issue in the article on the Gay and Lesbian Ministry written by Dr. Jacqueline Stewart,Director of Evangelization. She writes about how they are personally honoring Sr. Gramick and her work and how Dr. Stewart is developing “an urban network of ministry(Gay and Lesbian) with the major Religious Orders in Boston”.