". . . remain a popular Cardinal"? I think it's a lot too late for that -- after his ham-handed method of closing parishes and schools, in particular.
He's probably campaigning (however misguided his method) to keep Catholic hospitals from having to perform abortions. I don't know what they're doing about the MA law requiring the morning-after pill to rape victims. I do know Catholic Charities here stopped providing adoption services because of the law requiring non-discrimination against gay adoption. The Catholic Archdiocese is under siege, largely by self-styled "Catholic" politicians.
I stand by my original comments. In MA, especially the Boston area, and at that level of authority, everything is political.