Robert Bellarmine

"I say that, as you know, the Council forbids exposing the Scriptures contrary to the common consent of the Holy Fathers; and if Your Excellency wishes to read not only the Holy Fathers, but also the modern commentaries on Genesis, on the Psalms, on Ecclesiastes, on Joshua, you will find that they all agree in expounding ad literam that the sun is in the sky and revolves around the earth with great speed, and that the earth is very far from the sky and stands in the centre of the world, immobile. Consider now, with your prudence, whether the Church can tolerate that the Scriptures be given a meaning contrary to the Holy Fathers and to all Greek and Latin exegetes. Nor can it be answered that this is not a matter of faith, because if it is not a matter of faith ex parte obiecti, it is a matter of faith ex parte dicentis; and thus it would be heretical to say that Abraham did not have two sons and Jacob twelve, just as it would be heretical to say that Christ was not born of a virgin, because both are said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of the prophets and apostles."

"On the sixth day, God, with a single command, produced all the species of land animals, wild and domestic, and commanded them to multiply; and so they have done, do, and will do until the end of the world. And although no one cares to preserve certain kinds of animals, such as wolves, snakes, foxes, and the like, and everyone strives to kill them and banish them from the earth, nevertheless they are always found in great abundance, and will always be found, because it is necessary that they obey the command of the almighty Creator. Finally, on the sixth day, God, wishing to summarise all his works, made man, in whom he placed the qualities of all the elements: the life of plants, the feelings of animals, and the intellect and free will of the angels."

"N. was born in the year of our Lord 1542, on 4 October. He had pious parents, especially his mother, whose name was Cinzia, sister of Pope Marcellus II."

"(While he was Archbishop of Capua) Since it was customary for canons and parish priests to send the Archbishop rather ostentatious gifts during the Christmas season, he eradicated this custom, prohibiting it both because it was a burden on the canons and parish priests and because the rich could give, with greater merit, to the poor the gifts they would have offered to the Archbishop, who had no need of them. He often meditated on and inculcated in others the saying of Isaiah: ‘Blessed is he who has fulfilled his duty.’ (p. 69)"

"In the second conclave [8-16 May 1605. See Autobiography, note p. 72], he was very close to being elected Pope. And when a cardinal of great authority and seriousness promised him his influence [to get him elected], he urged him to desist without thanking him. He declared that, for his part, he would not pick up even a straw from the ground to be elected Pope. He bore no ill will towards those who opposed his election; indeed, he was not at all troubled by it. He said, in fact, that the papacy could be described as a ‘most dangerous job’ or a ‘most exhausting danger’. (p. 72)"