Readers of Dom’s blog know that there’s been a bit of scuffling in the Boston Archdiocese, as former Archdiocesan spokesman, Fr. Chris Coyne, resigned as pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians parish in Newton, after 4 months. Coyne followed the very popular but, at least as I read him, quite tiresome Fr. Walter Cuenin, who was removed for financial issues, but has been running an alternate magisterium over there in Newton for ages. And who was recently reassigned to be campus minister at Brandeis (there’s a piece about that, too, also linked at Dom’s.)

Pardon me, but it seems to have been the most bone-headed move in the world to put Fr. Coyne, who, after an Archbishop or two himself, is the most visible symbol of institutional authority around, as pastor of this place. Who thought that  would work out? Who thought he, no matter what his gifts, could bring that parish around, considering all he probably symbolizes to them?