Bishops Just Say the Darnedest Things!

Let’s meet the Most Rev. Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, Archbishop of Anchorage Alaska.

Bio: Archbishop Schweitz was member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate since his first profession of vows on August 15, 1961, Archbishop Schwietz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 3, 1940 and baptized on July 21, 1940 in Saint Casimir Church. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on December 20, 1967 and consecrated Bishop of Duluth at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary on February 2, 1990.

The Bishop is an educated man —

In addition to an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, he has earned a M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa; a S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome; and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University. Archbishop Schwietz was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Lewis University in 1998.

And I suppose he should know a thing or two about liturgy, even if he was ordained in 1967. The USCCB must think so because Archbishop Schwietz has held a number of positions within the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He even served as a consultant to the Liturgy Committee from 1991-1994. The Liturgy Committee. Hmmm?

So can someone, anyone please explain to me how an educated man, an Archbishop, who has served as a consultant to the USCCB Liturgy Committee could say the following things. Emphasis mine.

In order to celebrate the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, several challenges must be dealt with.
First, the 1962 Roman Missal must be celebrated with all of the rubrics in place. These would include a sanctuary that has 3 steps, an altar rail, and an altar that does not face the people and is permanently attached to a wall.
The priest must use all of the approximately 400 rubrics required for a licit and valid celebration of the Mass.
The priest must be able to use the Latin language in the appropriate fashion.
All of the vestments must be those that are approved for the 1962 Roman Missal
There must be a stable community that desires and will benefit from the celebration of the 1962 Rite.
There are also some effects on the participants in these Masses.
Women, for instance, would not be permitted to be present at the Baptism of their children. Women would also need to be “Churched” (a rite of purification after childbirth) before they could return to the sacraments.
There would be no lectors or eucharistic ministers.
The readings for Mass would be from the one year and not three year cycle.
All servers would have to be male.
So where do we go from here?

Say what?!? Bishops just say the darnedest things! So where do we go from here? I would suggest that a bishop who thinks such things should be banished to a remote diocese somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, they already did that. Maybe they could make him Bishop of Easter Island or perhaps Riyadh instead and give the good people of Alaska a Bishop who knows the difference between shinola and, well you know…