There was talk regarding closing parishes going back way before the scandals. The scandals didn't help but the problem is that most Catholics do not go to Mass and most Catholics do not send their kids to Catholic school for a Catholic religious education.
A couple of local studies have shown that only about 20% of Boston Archdiocese Catholics attend Mass once a week.
I heard the last half of Howie Carr's local hour yesterday (if I'd realized the topic, I would have listened from the beginning). A number of people from the suburbs called, saying that their parishes were being closed, although they had good attendance and could easily pay their bills. In each case, though, the pastor was described as "outspoken." I doubt they were outspoken against abortion, gay marriage, or dissent in general. Just call it a hunch.
I'm hoping he meant to send a message about orthodoxy. (Too bad the Paulist Center isn't one of the places he could close.)