AmericanPapist Comments
"...has a Master of Arts in Political Science ... a law degree..."
Looks Great. Ed P. (BA, Political Science, and JD)
I noticed this one: "In 1982 he was received into the Catholic Church and in 1983 entered the seminary". That's some quick discerning!
Who'd a thought Larry David would be the new bishop of Sioux Falls?
The Good Doctor and I experienced Bishop-Elect Swain concelebrate Maundy Thursday & Good Friday services this year with Bishop Morlino in Madison. If Bishop-Elect Swain keeps up this precedent, you can be sure there will be beautiful liturgies in Sioux Falls!
Congratulations to the new Bishop, from me in New York. May he proceed speedily to his task of teaching, sanctifying, governing, Haugen-Hass eliminating, gay-priest-laicizing, babykiller-politician-excommunicating, Latin-Mass-promoting, and the annoyance of the Chissiter weasels.
On the other hand, it is nothing short of UNCONSCINABLE that Rome lets ANY diocese go unoccupied for two WEEKS, never mind two YEARS. The announcement of a successor -- if there isn't a Coadjutor already in place -- should be made at the same time that a resignation is accepted.
Of course, there are circumstances -- say, an unexpected death in office -- where this can't be accomplished. But it should be the standard to work towards. Does that mean that the Congregation for Bishops has to work harder? Heck yes.
I have long felt the Vatican needs to reform its process in selecting Latin Rite bishops. I just can't believe that an apostolic nuncio will always and in every case choose the best or even a good bishop, let alone possess a strong familiarity with a given candidate.
Many of the Eastern rites elect a bishop and the Pope then approves or disapproves. This has not led to the problems we see in the Latin Rite on such a wide scale (consider the Church in California). The centralized process of choosing a bishop has often, but not always, led to long vacancies (Lake Charles still has no bishop) and poor leadership. Perhaps we need to lose the middle-man and return to a process of local nomination/election such as the early Church had.
Evangelical Catholicism
"So, you Latins have a bishop now. I guess that finally frees Sioux Falls from the tryanny of Fargo, North Dakota."
"You bet. Time for a celebration!"
Pray for Dallas, hopefully we can be the next to get a good one.
Msgr. Swain, was a good choice. I know because he was my pastor here in Madison. While in his role as Vicar General of the diocese he was meeker than many of us would have liked, he has encouraged celebration of occasional Masses in Latin, and himself often chooses to sing the Kyrie in Greek at regular Sunday Mass. I have never heard him be anything but orthodox (in fact, he teaches more clearly than our own bishop, whose rhetoric sometimes leads him into strange lands theologically, though no ill intention of his own).
We will be sad to see him go, but I look forward to seeing him grow into the office of Bishop.
Congratulations, Sioux Falls!
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