243 quotes found
"If evils increase, the devotion of the People of God should also increase."
"Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes."
"It is as if from some mysterious crack, no, it is not mysterious, from some crack the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God."
"We find sin the perversion of human freedom, and the deep cause of death, because it is separation from God, the source of life...and then, in its turn, the occasion and effect of an intervention in us and in our world of an obscure agent, the Devil. Evil is not merely a lack of something, but an effective agent, a living spiritual being, perverted and perverting. A terrible reality. Mysterious and frightening. It is contrary to the teaching of the Bible and the Church to refuse to recognize the existence of such a reality, or to regard it as a principle in itself which does not draw its origin from God like every other creature; or to explain it as a pseudoreality, a conceptual and fanciful personification of the unknown causes of our misfortunes."
"it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church."
"The post is unique. It brings great solitude. I was solitary before, but now my solitariness becomes complete and awesome. Hence the dizziness, the vertigo. Like a statue on a plinth — that is how I live now. Jesus was also alone on the cross. We hear that he expressed his desolation by crying out, Eloi, Eloi. My solitude will grow. I need have no fears: I should not seek outside help to absolve me from my duty; my duty is to plan, decide, assume every responsibility for guiding others, even when it seems illogical and perhaps absurd. And to suffer alone. The consolation of confiding in others will be rare and discreet: the depths of the spirit remain within me. Me and God. The colloquy with God must be full and endless"
"The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships."
"No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law"
"The question of human procreation, like every other question which touches human life, involves more than the limited aspects specific to such disciplines as biology, psychology, demography or sociology."
"The marriage of those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of Christ and His Church."
"Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death."
"With regard to man's innate drives and emotions, responsible parenthood means that man's reason and will must exert control over them."
"Was Paul VI's papacy a heroic one? In a way, I think the answer is yes. But his heroism was essentially tragic."
"I for one find it much easier to sympathise with the Arnoldian gloom of Paul looking quietly at the ruin of the Church than with the glad-handing U2 world-tour optimism of St. John Paul II,"
"Unam sanctam ecclesiam catholicam et ipsam apostolicam urgente fide credere cogimur et tenere, nosque hanc frmiter credimus et simpliciter confitemur, extra quam nec salus est, nec remissio peccatorum,"
"Sive ergo Graeci sive alii se dicant Petro ejusque successoribus non esse commissos: fateantur necesse est, se de ovibus Christi non esse, dicente Domino in Joanne, unum ovile et unicum esse pastorem."
"In hac ejusque potestate duos esse gladios, spiritualem videlicet et temporalem, evangelicis dictis instruimur. […] Uterque ergo est in potestate ecclesiae, spiritualis scilicet gladius et materialis. Sed is quidem pro ecclesia, ille vero ab ecclesia exercendus, ille sacerdotis, is manu regum et militum, sed ad nutum et patientiam sacerdotis."
"Porro subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus dicimus, definimus et pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis."
"That it has pleased God to make Holy Scripture obscure in certain places lest, if it were perfectly clear to all, it might be vulgarized and subjected to disrespect or be so misunderstood by people of limited intelligence as to lead them into error."
"Dilexi iustitiam et odi iniquitatem; propterea morior in exilio."
"The importance of status is vividly illustrated by perhaps the most celebrated summit in German history: the meeting at Canossa in 1077 between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. In German this is known as der Canossagang, the journey to Canossa; more aptly in Italian as l’umiliazione di Canossa, for it was truly a humiliation. In the Investiture Controversy—the power struggle between pope and emperor over the right to appoint bishops—Henry had renounced Gregory as pope, only to find himself excommunicated. This papal edict not only imperilled Henry’s immortal soul, it also laid him open to revolt by the German nobility. He sought a meeting with Gregory who, fearing violence, retreated to the castle of Canossa, in safe territory south of Parma. This forced the emperor to come to him. What exactly happened is shrouded in legend, but supposedly Henry arrived in the depths of winter, barefoot and in a pilgrim’s hair shirt, only to be kept waiting by Gregory for three days. When he was finally admitted to the castle on January 28, 1077, the emperor knelt before the pope and begged forgiveness. He was absolved and the two most powerful figures in Christendom then shared the Mass."
"The reconciliation was short-lived. After being excommunicated a second time Henry crossed the Alps with his army and replaced Gregory with an “antipope” of his own. But the events themselves matter less than the myth that grew up around them. During the German Reformation Henry was lionized as the defender of national rights and the scourge of the Catholic pope, often being dubbed “the first Protestant.” And during Chancellor Otto von Bismarck’s struggle to rein in the Catholic church, he famously declared in the Reichstag on May 14, 1872: “We will not go to Canossa, neither in body nor in spirit.” He was voicing the new German Reich’s resolve to accept no outside interference in its affairs—political or religious. As a result Henry IV shivering outside the gates of Canossa became a familiar figure in late-nineteenth-century German art; the phrase “to go to Canossa” (nach Canossa gehen) entered the language as a synonym for craven surrender— almost the equivalent of “Munich” to the British and Americans."
"As a mere constellation of talent in different fields Anselm, Gregory VII and William the Conqueror were the greatest men in Europe during this period... William and Gregory were men of action of a kind rare at any time, but almost unknown in the Middle Ages: they were creators who dealt intuitively with confused situations, having little in precedent or business routine or learned construction to guide them. Gregory had an energy of purpose and clarity of vision in practical affairs for which no parallel can be found in these centuries."
"Religion, and it can merge into nationalism as orthodoxy does with the Serbs and the Russians, offers both a cause worth dying for and the promise of eternal life. The crusaders did not leave their homes all over Europe and make the long and dangerous journey to the Holy Land just to acquire loot and land. There was more and better to be had much closer to home. They were driven by what they thought was a divine mission, to retrieve the land where Christ had once lived for Christendom. Many crusaders – kings such as Richard I of England, the Lionheart, and Philip II of France and great landed magnates – left behind properties, position and families and many never returned. Egged on by religious leaders such as Pope Gregory VII, who reminded the faithful of the passage from the Book of Jeremiah ‘Cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood’, they killed indiscriminately those they thought of as infidels. In the massacres in Jerusalem in 1099 the streets were said to have run with blood, in some places up to the knees of the crusaders’ horses. ‘None of them were left alive; neither women nor children were spared,’ said a contemporary account."
"Desirous that our venerable city be preserved in its dignity and splendor, we must attend to its care with the greatest vigilance. Not only the basilicas, churches, and religious sites, in which many relics of the saints reside, but also the ancient buildings and their ruins should be handed down to posterity, as these confer upon the city its most beautiful adornment and its greatest charm; they attest to ancient virtues and encourage us to emulate their glorious example."
"You ask a thing ill-suited to my years, to yours both offensive and disgusting. For how can it become me, who am near forty, to write of love, or you, that are in your fifties, to read of it. That is a subject which delights young minds, and demands a tender heart. Old men are as fitted to tales of love as young men are to tales of prudence. Nor is there anything uglier than old age pursuing love, but lacking strength. Certainly you will sometimes find old men in love,—loved again, never; matrons and girls alike despise old age. No man’s love will hold a woman, but his whom she has seen in the flower of his youth. And if you hear aught to the contrary, there’s a lie behind it. Indeed I know, to write of love does not beseem me, who have already passed the noonday of life and am carried on towards evening; but it dishonours you who ask no less than me who write."
"For what, in all the world, is more common than love? What state, what little town, what family lacks examples? Who, that has reached his thirtieth year, has not endured some villainy for love’s sake? I conjecture from myself whom love has sent into a thousand perils, and I thank the Gods above that I have a thousand times escaped the ambushes prepared for me; more fortunate in my star than Mars whom Vulcan took with Venus, and caught them in an iron net, and displayed them, as a laughing-stock, to the other Gods."
"Altars are profaned and broken, Christians tortured, women violated. ... Who will avenge these wrongs? On you, rests this duty, on you. ... That which above all other thoughts should stir you most is the Holy Sepulchre of the Savior and the Holy Places, ravaged and profaned by an impure race. Valiant soldiers, descendants of those who never know defeat, make your way to the Holy Sepulchre and tear the Holy Land from the grasp of this abominable nation."
"The church shall be catholic, chaste and free: catholic in faith and the communion of saints, chaste from all contagion of evil, and free from all secular power."
"Jesus had told his followers to love their enemies, not to exterminate them. He was a pacifist and had more in common with Gandhi, perhaps, than with Pope Urban."
"...the most telling aspect of the First Crusade was that this mighty wave of military enthusiasm owed nothing whatever to any king or emperor. The Pope had summoned the chivalry of Europe round the banner of the cross and St Peter, to overwhelming effect. No secular ruler could have done as much, and there could be no more eloquent demonstration of the centrality of the reformed papacy in the religious imagination of medieval Europe."
"It was at Clermont where, before a Council of several hundred prelates and thousands of clergy and laymen, he delivered a plea for united Christendom, a holy unity which would liberate the precious Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christendom which would defeat and throw off the shameful yoke of oppression. He spoke well, his theme was magnificent, and the moment was propitious. ... His audience wept and groaned in sympathy and with the vast sorrow and deep anger a mighty enthusiasm was born. ... "Who will avenge these wrongs?" cried the Pope with all the power of a flaming conscience. "On you rests this duty...on you!" "God wills it!" shouted his audience in wild excitement. "God wills it." The First Crusade was born."
"Urban spoke with fervour and with all the art of a great orator. The response was immediate and tremendous. Cries of 'Deus le volt!'—'God wills it!'—interrupted the speech. Scarcely had the Pope ended his words before the Bishop of Le Puy rose from his seat and, kneeling before the throne, begged permission to join in the holy expedition. Hundreds crowded up to follow his example. Then the Cardinal Gregory fell on his knees and loudly repeated the Confiteor; and all the vast audience echoed it after him. When the prayer was over Urban rose once more and pronounced the absolution and bade his hearers go home."
"The American people are mature and have now understood how much the mainstream media does not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it, spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters. However, it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard. What more effective way is there to do this, Mr. President, than by prayer, asking the Lord to protect you, the United States, and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy? Before the power of prayer, the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse, their plots will be revealed, their betrayal will be shown, their frightening power will end in nothing, brought to light and exposed for what it is: an infernal deception."
"Let's consider the history of the Jesuits. That is something I am studying now with great care. In fact, if you would like to know the synthesis of my thought, it is this: What we are now seeing is the triumph of a 60-year-old plan, the successful execution of a well-thought out plan to bring a new sort of thinking into the heart of the Church, a thinking rooted in elements of Liberation Theology containing strands of Marxism, little interested in traditional Catholic liturgy or morality or theology, but rather focused on ‘praxis’ in the field of social justice. And now this plan has achieved one of its supreme goals, with a Jesuit on the See of Peter."
"In continuing to celebrate the Mass of Pope Saint Pius V no priest performs any act of disobedience, but on the contrary he exercises his right sanctioned by God, which not even the Pope can revoke. Whoever has the power to offer the Holy Sacrifice has the right to celebrate it in the ancient rite, as it was solemnly proclaimed by Saint Pius V in the Apostolic Constitution Quo Primum, promulgating the Tridentine Liturgy."
"[About the motu proprio Traditionis custodes] It brokes Pope Benedict’s heart."
"You have to differentiate between the papacy as an institution and the person of the incumbent. It certainly was a revolutionary step… And it’s only now that we see the importance and huge opportunities that have been opened up by this step. As I have said before, it was not easy for me personally, but the question is not whether it’s easy but rather that I have to accept and come to terms with this decision. And in this respect also I’m at peace with myself."
"Seeing in 2013 the warm greeting of Gustavo Raffi, Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Italy, I became certain that, more than a welcome to Bergoglio, it was a goodbye for Pope Ratzinger!"
"Many cardinals today would sympathize with Angelo Scola as Pope."
"It would make no sense whatsoever to say, "Well, we shouldn’t honor Catholics who present the antithesis of our Catholic doctrine, but there’s really no problem whatsoever provided the person’s not a Catholic," that evades common sense."
"Christ has infinite patience with us. When we have doubts and fears, He never stops reaching out to us with his love. He wants us to love Him back, he wants us to trust him completely. We sometimes lack faith because the realities of the world press in on us: a financial situation, a job situation, a difficulty in the family, and other factors. When these concerns cloud our hearts, we begin to lose the clear vision of faith that frees us. Trust Christ! Have faith! Do not be afraid to trust Christ completely, offering Him your worries and fears, your joys and hopes. Jesus, I trust in you! This is the great exclamation of the Church. It is only through trust that you will begin to experience the depths of Christ's love for you. And when you begin to experience this love, deeply and profoundly in your lives, you cannot help but see the world around you differently."
"In Japan, there is in reality a great need for religious values, there are some faithful who practice two different religions. But the Church is not able to satisfy this thirst for religion because its strategy is mistaken: the Church must not limit itself to teaching Catholic doctrine, faith, and traditions, but must find a way to connect these with the culture and everyday problems of the Japanese, avoiding the fracture between the teaching of doctrine and everyday life in Japan. Obviously, this is an extremely difficult task."
"The Japanese by nature struggle to express their feelings, even with the idea of not loading their problems on others. So, in this cultural context, a verbal message and effective closeness and solidarity on behalf of those who do not criticize, but only encourage and pray, has a great value."
"The idea of secularization is not possible in the Middle East. The idea of secularization is a concept that does not exist in the Middle East for both Christians and Muslims because in the Middle East people are by nature religious. It is much better to speak about citoyenneté, "citizenship for all" whereby the citizens are allowed to pursue their own religious values. Islam is not just religion but is both religion and culture. Every act of a Muslim has both a religious and cultural value."
"As young Deacons, you have to push yourself as hard as possible to get as far as possible and to be of service as much as possible even to the point that you fall asleep while standing so to say."
"Even today God may continue to call people to Himself, so that others may discover the mercy and the forgiveness of God, so that others may know that they have a Father who is in heaven. Without our testimony, the Gospel could not continue to manifest that God loves man. In fact, this is our message, the message of which we are heralds: God loves man."
"As Church, we are called to discern God's voice and read history not just with human criteria but especially in the light of God's word and there we can discover where the Lord wants to lead us, as a Church, as a society, as a single faithful."
"An administrator is neither a master nor a slave who cannot decide anything, but one who is given a responsibility by the Master."
"Since this office has also been entrusted to me, each element takes on a deeper meaning."
"Haiti is a very poor country. It gets a lot of negative publicity in the media because of the natural disasters, the political instability, and the violence. What I discovered here was an enormously gifted people, very creative artists, musicians, writers, and poets."
"I thank the Lord for choosing me to show this people with my presence the affection and closeness of the Holy Father. My presence has also built a bridge between the Church in Korea and the Church here: we have many Korean missionaries in Bangladesh."
"Relations between Catholicism and Buddhism are based on mutual respect."
"We encourage, especially the Christians, we encourage them to remain there because we think that their presence is so important for the country. Not just for the Church, that is so important, but also for society because they can play a very important role. And to encourage them to remain I always tell them that they have a very special mission that no one can play in their place. They have a special mission of being Christians in the Holy Land, of being Christians in a context that is difficult but is very necessary."
"It's important to work together. And to transmit this necessity of continuing to help these people, to assist these people, with prayers and spiritual assistance, but also with concrete assistance...to contact authorities, to engage more in promoting peace and development. Also because it's the best way to avoid the problem of migration. Instead of trying to cover the emergency here (in Europe), to try to solve the problems at the root so that people don't have to leave their countries."
"This Pope has removed two or three bishops per month throughout the world because either the accounts in their dioceses were a mess or their discipline was a disaster."
"May we always be sincere and courageous heralds of peace, without forgetting that there is no peace without justice and there is no justice without forgiveness."
"Churches and monasteries everywhere should not be seen only as "cultural treasures" needing to be preserved materially, but also with due respect for the conditions that enable Christian communities to practice their faith freely in those centres."
"I believe that diversity should be a mutual gift, enriching interpersonal and social relationships, opening minds and hearts to those who are different. Yet if we place too much emphasis on what distinguishes us, then peculiarities and nationalisms inevitably resurface, with the consequence that differences become obstacles or, even worse, walls. A Christian, the word itself indicates, even before belonging to a nation, belongs to Christ, who gave his life for us."
"The Church is expected, even in the middle of human weakness and error, to guard, in obedience and veneration, the Gospel Christ has entrusted to her. The Pope is not the creator of the faith, but the custodian of the Gospel."
"The mandate remains the same, as the same is Jesus Christ "yesterday, today and forever", and his Gospel, while recipients change and the social, cultural, political and religious situations in which they live."
"The goal of every reform and renewal in the Church is the holiness of its members. The Lord Jesus calls on us constantly to follow the path of ecclesial communion, Catholic faith and holiness in our times, especially among pressing ecclesial and social challenges."
"There's a need for meeting, for dialogue, for shared commitment, so that, in a world that is by now rushing towards globalization, the different religions, with their specific resources, may fulfil the expectations of promoting some truly human values."
"Fundamentalism, especially the kind which appropriates itself of a religious matrix, is never acceptable. It is a stance exploited merely as a means to justify extremism or even failure of a personal life or vision of the future."
"To find a way through dialogue the answer to the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria in a way which also gives guarantees to all its components for a better society. Of course the situation in Syria depends also on the balance of powers in the region and the good will of the international community as a whole. We know that there is a new distribution of powers in this region and so if there is not the presence of all the actors internationally, regionally and locally, there will be no answer to the situation in Syria."
"It is necessary to promote in the faithful the sense of responsibility and participation for a better awareness and a greater commitment to contribute to the life of the ecclesial community. In Israel, the Catholic Church of the Latin rite, as well as various parishes celebrating in Arabic, is present with a community in Hebrew that is rather composite and even variable, since many migrants of different origins are part of it. Pastorally and socially it appears lively as well as growing. It can be said that it is a highly symbolic reality, representing the Church of Christ within His people. The Catholic communities of the Melkite, Maronite, Greek-Catholic, Syrian-Catholic and Armenian rites that exist in Israel and Palestine also face the challenge of the dwindling number of the faithful and clergy as well as the scarcity of resources. They express the richness of faith, of liturgy, of the identity of the Christian East that must be protected. Moreover, being part of the Catholic Church as such, they are faithful to the Holy Father and attest to the universality of the Church of Christ, not only geographically but also in temporal terms, referring to the origins of the Church that is present in the Holy Land in a peculiar way with various rites of equal dignity."
"When values have their foundation in man, they are very fragile. It's enough to look at the 20th century."
"It's a tribunal because it judges. Penitentiary because it deals with penance and Apostolic because the Lord has told us to forgive, therefore it does just that."
"Catechesis must be experiential, a true accompaniment in the experience of God, not a schooled catechesis where only an indoctrination or a teaching of knowledge is received."
"2010 and 2011 are decisive years for Sudan's history. I am convinced that there is concrete hope for peace."
"Dialogue enables us to appreciate the qualities of the other person and it's also a stimulus for us, for in dialogue we need to be consistent witnesses. Interreligious dialogue always begins with the profession of one's faith. This avoids relativism."
"Bring the situation in the Middle East to the attention of the international community. Everyone must respect the rules of law."
"I believe that the words of the Holy Father have been an invitation to moderation, to dialogue, to negotiation to get through the tension and to see, to hope, that there are none of these... acts of revenge."
"We are all disciples of Jesus, we are urged not to consider ourselves the owners, dominators of the faith of others. We are servants for the sake of Jesus."
"The unity of the Church and the unity of Christians in Nigeria should be a sign for the whole of society and an example for our Muslim brothers."
"The Christian life really starts from an inner renewal, from a conversion: the return to God. I believe it is a good opportunity to rediscover the foundations of the fundamental choice of Christian life: live it every day in relationship with others and in a dimension of solidarity and openness to the world."
"World Youth Day in Sydney was a moment of great grace. And now, it is very important that the WYD spirit remains alive through creative initiatives, designed to promote and renew youth ministry in Australia."
"I say that coming to the Holy Land is also a nice gesture of solidarity. It helps to know that other Christians - despite everything - come here."
"Preaching is difficult due to differences in language, traditions, laws and social resistance. So we are preaching first of all in the language of love by caring for the poor, the abandoned, the young and the old, by helping the suffering and visiting those in hospitals and prisons. The response is good. People notice that we are with the poor. It is not propaganda, but concrete presence."
"The Holy See gives voice to those who have no voice. This is perhaps a poetic way to phrase it. But I would like to point out that this is the most challenging, interesting, sometimes difficult, but always gratifying side of my daily activity. I am referring to dioceses, associations, religious congregations, and individuals who turn to us, confident that we can help them to meet with and present to the right offices and persons their views and requests, which are usually humanitarian in nature."
"The missions are recorded in the DNA of the Church in Poland, which was born, grew up and was formed in society through the Missionary activities of its patron."
"The people of Liberia are very religious people who believe and hope in eternal life. Liberians have suffered much and continue to have a difficult life, but they also have great patience – and they know how to be happy and enjoy life. I hope that this night of Ebola will pass away as soon as possible, and that we can fully enjoy life again. Ultimately, our hope is always the same: we hope in Jesus Christ who has overcome suffering and death. We are sure that He will not disappoint us."
"The societies are a providential gift to the Church. Let us pray to the Lord of the Mission to help you come out with a clear understanding and plan of our great task of evangelization,"
"Priests must take into consideration the main message of Pope Francis, in which he asks to give life to a Church with a priestly path of holiness and not of perfection."
"Jerusalem is not like any other Church. It is the Mother Church. There are the holy places and to belong to the Church of Jerusalem was very important to me. But in the end, I understood, it is the Universal Church. It is the Catholic Church. There is a need everywhere and therefore I am ready to go."
"God Almighty who knows everything is with you. The heavenly Father helps all those who face such suffering like the tsunami disaster."
"You know we are all responsible for building peace in the world. Respond to blind violence and inhuman hatred with the extraordinary power of love. Forgive those who offend you. Do not let yourselves be dragged into manifestations of nationalism, racism and intolerance."
"For us as priests, I think it makes it easier because, no matter where we go, we find something of the Church. People recognize the role of the priest. You enter into that immediately. I think it's different from the civil diplomats."
"I imagine that each one of you come from a family, therefore, you should respect it, support it and strengthen it. Especially in a country that has its dynamism founded on it."
"Peace is a challenge and a necessity for everyone, but especially in the regions where we suffer more."
"Mercy without truth is not Christian, because that doesn't take into account the dignity of the human person."
"Northern Ireland and the peace process is still a delicate initiative, it needs some tending, it needs support, it needs accompaniment, it needs midwifing."
"We are close to the Holy Father. We love him and pray for him always. The Pope is our only hope, he is the one who makes his voice heard to defend the rights of Christians in every part of the world. We are close to him at this time of suffering and pray the Lord to accompany him at this time of trial."
"We are representatives of the Holy Father, but this corresponds to dialogue with the Catholic Church,"
"During the past decades, the Holy See has been making all possible efforts to establish, strengthen or restore dialogue on the cultural and religious levels and in the social and humanitarian sphere. I'm absolutely convinced that life under the guidance of the Gospel would in itself make an important contribution into forming the society and culture, which simultaneously assists personal development and encourages an intense and constructive dialogue with other authentic cultures and religions."
"Fundamentalism is always a sign of the desperation of reason and the defeat of faith."
"+As quoted in Festival delle religioni: card. Parolin, «Fondamentalismo è sconfitta di fede e ragione», toscanaoggi.it (April 27, 2019)"
"It is not only its location on the edge of Europe that makes Eastern Europe important, but also its historical role in civilisation, culture and the Christian faith. Some point out that when St John Paul II imagined a Europe stretching from the Atlantic to the Urals, he was not thinking of ‘Western expansionism’, but of a more united whole encompassing the entire continent."
"If military spending were used for other purposes, a fund could be set up to help millions of people who are dying for peace."
"There are many martyrs in Latin America because, starting from their choice to follow Jesus Christ, priests are willing to get their hands dirty and expose themselves in defence of the faithful entrusted to them and for the great values of justice and solidarity."
"The Arab Spring was a complex phenomenon which, unfortunately, did not achieve the goals of greater democracy and social justice that seemed to be its driving forces. However, it is legitimate to ask how much the pursuit of particular economic and geopolitical interests contributed to this failure at the international community level."
"If the Church still has a glimmer of rationality, it must elect Pope Peter Parolin. It is the only way to restore its authority."
"We can activate people to love their country, family, and not go in search of adventure goodness knows where. This has to do with conscience. A person who loves his country, parents, environment, prefers to stay. I believe this is rather a problem of the state, which does not offer opportunities to so many young people after finishing their studies. And here there is truly a growing social injustice."
"Migrants expect orientation from the Church and a response to the great questions about Christian faith, human comfort and support capable of restoring hope and meaning to their lives. The missionary journey which we intend to undertake in this third millennium should be based on evangelization and the testimony of charity. Do not forget that Christian charity has a great evangelizing force in the measure in which it leaves the sign of God's love among men."
"We want to propose a Christianity, a Christian life, which is not closed in on itself or self-referential but is open to society, to the Kingdom of God."
"I think we must identify the principal object and to focus all available means in this one direction. Our objective is to announce Christ and help people -Catholics included - to believe and live the Gospel. We must transmit hope based not on human objectives, social, economic etc. This hope must be based on the concrete person of Christ. This may seem obvious but it will do no harm to recall that every bishop must transmit solely the model of Christ. Clearly today especially in countries with serious economic, social and political problems - like many Latin American nations - the Church's ministry much reach every human sphere and offer concrete answers, but what kind of answers? On what must they be based? When the Church's mission becomes confused with earthly goals, economic, political or social, the Gospel ceases to be effective. Men cease to be effective!"
"Good local and regional governance, is indeed the "conditio sine qua non" for local and regional authorities to faithfully keep to their mission of serving the common good of the communities."
""Stop" is the cry expressed by the Church in the name of abused humanity. The United States must also stop and I think it has the strength to do so. It must re-establish respect for human beings and return to the family of nations, overcoming the temptation to act on its own. If it does not stop, the whirlwind of horror will involve other peoples and will lead us ever more to the abyss."
"We firmly believe that the contribution of the social doctrine of the Church and of the Pope's Magisterium can offer support even in a pluralistic society such as that of today."
"Society is evolving rapidly and so are the conditions in which people live their faith. I am sure that the Church in Zimbabwe will be able to profit from its rich history and the faith, commitment, professionalism, and zeal of so many Priests, religious and lay people in order to face creativity in the new times that are ahead of us."
"Patience is needed to travel this path at a pace dictated by the Heart of the disciples, by the Heart of the Church. It is patience that the Vicars of Christ, the Bishops, are called to cultivate and here we see how difficult the episcopal mission is."
"My wish for you is that you may persevere in the Christian faith. It is true that you are but a small group. However, do not forget that you are in communion with the one universal Church, the Church of Rome, and the Holy Father. In the two months since my arrival in Bangkok, I have come to know this Church well enough to appreciate it."
"Tonight, we pay tribute to the first missionary, her faith in the Annunciation leads Mary to visit Elizabeth, with the announcement of Christ... The event that had taken place deep inside her becomes a message that is "broadcast" as news."
"Jesus Christ and His Church are our life, our passion; in Him and in Her we wish to grow ever more ourselves and help others to grow. This growth is the goal of the new evangelization and of the Ad Gentes mission."
"The Pope spoke to us about the political, scientific, religious dimensions, constituent of modern humanism, and hoped that governors, the men of science and thought, and the spiritual guides of the great non-Christian religions should be the Magi of today. In the aforesaid challenges Benedict XVI has a supreme responsibility, and he undertakes it in an admirable way, with much science and much wisdom."
"The monastery is a house of prayer, study, and hospitality, a place in which they can await the return to Christ, the Spouse, in order to participate in the Heavenly Banquet."
"It has been a work in progress (the Lord gently leading) that I have noticed ever since I lost interest in being either a cowboy or a fireman. My image of the priesthood has grown with me and continues to grow."
"Dialogue, that is the life of faith of the Christian, is not a matter of consciousness or of "self-consciousness" of the faith. That is just another affirmation of self, it is not the life of Christians. The life of Christians is Jesus. Those who engage in dialogue don’t have the "immediate" purpose of converting their interlocutor, but have the desire in their hearts of maybe one day kneeling together before Jesus with their interlocutor."
"I think this moment requires everyone to pray for peace, and not to put ourselves one against the other, but to work for national unity. Christians do not feel adequately protected, but they understand the difficulties in preventing acts of terrorism. In seven days the Coptic Orthodox will celebrate Christmas. I hope that this Christian community may celebrate the holiday in tranquility, peace and joy."
"I believe that if this war remains, this strong sense of the communion of people against the conflict and in favor of peace and necessary progress in such a poor country is also created."
"Dialogue between the belligerents is not easy, although this is the path to follow. Furthermore, the international community should work harder to bring peace back to the country and put it back on the path to democracy, with the contribution and participation of Sudanese people."
"A loud call goes out to the entire Christian world to continue to heed the message of St Paul, Apostle of the Nations, who spoke and wrote to the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians, the Jews and the Romans in his time, and continues today to speak to the Nations on every continent."
"He gave the witness of a particularly intense and competent commitment both from a pastoral and organizational, and an artistic-cultural point of view, endeavouring to restore spiritual vitality to the entire complex and new zeal to the ecumenical vocation of that place of worship."
"The Holy See's participation in FAO and the reason its action is a priority, must be linked to the vast presence of the Apostolic See in multilateral diplomatic activity, in the desire to affirm the fundamental value of human coexistence. Respect for man's dignity is made concrete by ensuring that each person is guaranteed the right to food security. And, to accomplish this, not only is technical action needed, but also a vision open to sharing, and even more so to concrete solidarity."
"I got to know Poland, its history and culture, and above all the faith of the Poles, and it immediately made a good impression on me."
"The survival and the new promising flowering of the Catholic Church in Estonia after centuries of marginalization and persecution should also be, notwithstanding her modest size, a reason for joy and for hope for the whole Church of Christ in Europe and the world. The living Christ in his Church can become, as the Estonian Church is showing, even in difficult conditions, an unexpected source of new life and a new springtime of the Church."
"Much courage is needed to make a decision of this importance, and I'm sure that he thought about it very thoroughly. So we ask the Lord to continue to accompany and bless him for the immense good he has done. Meanwhile I lament that in the future we won't have the lucidity and clarity of his teaching as Pontiff, although we will be able to continue to profit from the books, addresses and documents he has left us."
"There are two ways to approach Jesus: with the approach of "the wise" who doubt his words, or with that of simple people, who give witness to the miracles of Christ and have eyes to see the Awaited."
"I bring the Pope's greetings, his Apostolic Blessing and his fervent wish that your nation continues to move forward in peace and stability, on a path of development that may become a model of unity and progress with respect for human rights and the environment whereby all its people can prosper and even the most vulnerable will not suffer marginalization or neglect. And all by remaining faithful in spite of great hardships - to its humane ideals."
"Ecumenism is a gift from God, a gift that becomes possible through prayer."
"The Church is there and will not go away, because its people are there. The mission of priests has become very difficult, but their job is vital, and God is with his Church."
"As the Pope's envoy, I'm going with joy because I'll be meeting God's people there, I'm going with pride because I'm going to meet my brothers from Pakistan."
"May you encounter a Church that is not only an institution, an institution to be defended, to be protected, which you have wisely done for 500 years now, but also a community, a believing community which has met the living and true Christ, which loves him, and intends to serve him in everyday life."
"Those with goodwill will believe us anyway, while the malicious will not believe us even if we publish the figures."
"I like to think, especially during these days when the whole Church is as it were focused on the Eucharistic mystery, that precisely there, on the altar, Cardinal Caprio's life and ministry - the various posts to which the diplomatic service of the Holy See took him - would have found their deepest point of convergence."
"The Church in Cameroon is alive, with a notable religious fervor."
"In Paraguay, the social and political scenery remains delicate. It is necessary to work to ensure respect for the common good and the defense of ethics. Pastors are committed to accompanying the Paraguayan people and promoting dialogue for the common good."
"I tried to do my duty and, thanks be to God, I never found myself in danger. Ah, yes, I did it with pleasure, because it was a right thing, and if I had to start over I'd do the same."
"A diplomat's duty is to report to the nation or the state that sends you out, and not to journalists."
"The Gospel is always answer and light for everyday human problems, and one of them consists precisely in the excessive disparity between poor and rich who come across each other in very concrete situations in life and society. We Christians cannot be neutral spectators of the needs and of the poverty of others."
"Among those stones, which witnessed the incarnation of the Son of God, that intuition was born in Chiara from which infinite horizons would open, which hope to be enlarged and realized by all who have received her legacy."
"The death of our dear brother in Christ certainly saddens us. But it is also an encouragement for all of us to continue with humility and simplicity in faithful service to the Gospel, always being prepared for the Lord's call."
"The Catholic Church in Ireland which has – in the course of its history and in the spiritual footsteps of its great missionary "Father in the Faith" and in nationhood, St. Patrick – taken the message of Pentecost to heart and zealously spread the Good News of salvation at home and abroad. The Church in Ireland, which counts among its sons and daughters an abundant blossoming of saints – some of whom have paid the ultimate price for their fidelity to Christ."
"The peaceful coexistence among people of different ethnicities, religions, is so important: we are all brothers, sons, and daughters."
"Being mutally open to one another allows us to understand and appreciate one another, because authentic love, inspired by God, cannot fail to generate in the hearts of all of us the desire for mutual help, despite the differences that can characterize us."
"Now is the time to go out into the sea of life and bring people aboard the boat of the Church, revealing to them the meaning of human dignity and elevating them to the practice of the virtues of the Gospel. May the blessed handmaid of the Lord and queen of the apostles intercede for me so that every day I may strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ and, following the example of my dear parents and brothers and sisters, find consolation in the voice of the Lord who repeats without tiring: Fear not, I have called you by name."
"As Apostolic Nuncio I firmly believe that interfaith dialogue is the means to promote good relations among people of different faiths who can discover the beauty of other peoples' faith."
"My experience is that there is very little hostility towards the Holy See as an entity, but rather they do see a value in it. We work to make a contribution that is obviously grounded in our faith but also in the experience and history of our Church."
"The church will continue to support the constitutional rights of the people of this region to protest against anything that threatens their lives and the local ecosystem."
"Today the Catholic Church in Turkey is called to move from an attitude of a Church with presence to a Church of witness: a Church which reflects on the meaning of its presence in Turkey."
"Our world is questioning our position and that is where we must be strong in belief, following the teaching of the church. Facing the difficult reality, the temptation will be, of course, to take the easy way."
"An administrator has to be trustworthy, so the administrator is not the master, the administrator is not a slave who cannot decide anything, the administrator is somebody who has responsibility under somebody who stay over him and we know over us is Jesus Christ, so I invite you in your different responsibilities in the church to remember that we are administrators, not the masters."
"Newness, if it comes from God, brings always with it a going beyond of what already exists. Tradition, if it is authentic, receives and gives a solid base to new advances"
"God has given to all of us many gifts. What He gives them we have to put in practice."
"We need to become more aware of the intrinsic treasure in the magisterium of the Church, which throughout the centuries has been enriched and has given life to our community. And today the Pope, together with the bishops, is trying to make it even more vibrant for society today. To be ready to listen, that to me is very important. Then we need to respond in such a way that our language can be understood by the people."
"Prepare the population to receive a message of a universal pastor, a pastor of the church, he's not a politician but he's a man of God."
"I find that my life is a circle -- I keep coming back to a point where I was before, but in a different way. That's the way God has worked with me, I guess."
"The Holy See has always just sent me where they needed me, it's been a very beautiful experience. It hasn't always been easy, being so far from home and family, but I will miss it. At the same time, direct pastoral ministry has always been my first love. Human beings are very similar, but we're not all the same. Throughout my ministry, I've been able to see the beauty of all these different cultures, and the beauty of the Church in all these different places. It's been a very enriching experience."
"We are all called to be holy right where we are, amid everyday realities, despite our weaknesses and the difficulties we may face. By living in this way we can change the world."
"As Christians, especially parents, we must encourage young people to go to church and must continue to share gifts, which is a special asset, faith."
"I extend deep gratitude to everyone in Gibraltar, a community distinguished by tolerance, warmth and unique hospitality."
"He's a fascinating guy. He knows all the languages, he studied at the Accademia, which is the training ground for Vatican diplomats, and now finds himself accompanying the pope on his journeys. He's a very charming fellow."
"He is a good man and will not reveal any of the Jesuit secrets we will talk about here."
"Inter-religious dialogue is necessary to promote a culture of peace and to promote the essential values of the Council of Europe that are often in line with the Catholic Churchs action and teaching, such as peace, education, justice, and reconciliation."
"There is hope as long as there is this natural creativity and resilience of the Lebanese people. Hope never dies."
"The Catholic Church is committed to work tirelessly for the common good and to help each believer to be an "adal azamat". All social projects the Catholic Church is undertaking throughout the country contribute to building a better present and future for the needy."
"My dear brother Priests, be united like the ropes of the bark of Peter, the ropes to which the anchor is hooked, protecting the bark from the winds and the storms. Be united like the rope that lifts up the sails to catch the wind, making it sail and bringing the bark to port. Be like the ropes of strong, expansive nets that bring in the abundant catch of fish."
"I saw destruction everywhere but people were ready to start again with their faith."
"By the prayers of the Church, your journey – at this moment painful for us – will finish at the gates of the heavenly home where the merciful father already awaits you."
"I will bring with me wonderful memories of the Filipino people who, in spite of their many hardships and trials, remain resilient supported by resolute faith in God. They do not ask God to provide only for their materials needs but rather to abandon themselves to Him as their Father. They believe that God is greater than all their needs."
"the Church-Family of God is Catholic, ie universal; therefore it knows no regional or provincial borders. We are all members of the same and only Church, and no Catholic is a foreigner in another Diocese. Imagine for a moment, if the first Missionaries and Bishops of Burkina Faso had never come from outside, in this case from France, there would be no Catholic Church now in Burkina Faso. Thus, at the recent Synod for Africa, the Synod Fathers asked that the faithful and priests welcome, in a spirit of faith, the Bishop that the Holy Father sends them as their Pastor of the Diocese."
"I can honestly say, not with any reference to myself at all, that the Holy See always had a tremendous respect for the archdiocese of Philadelphia and in particular for the seminary. The fact that the Holy See was constantly asking the archdiocese for priests to serve in the Vatican in our diplomatic service indicated the respect that the Holy Father and the Vatican the Holy See had for Philadelphia."
"I have great feelings about the people of this country who are extraordinary. It's a people who know how to express feelings of true friendship, of affection and this is engraved in my heart."
"Are we changing for good, for the real well-being, or are we impoverishing our comprehension of the human being, our respect for the human being, therefore also our respect for society, respect for our history? Those questions in this moment call, among other things, my attention in this great country which is Canada."
"Help the Pope to ensure that the Gospel of Jesus reaches all people, especially those who have never heard it. "Mission" begins at home."
"Communism fought against religious faith and that to which religious faith is tied: the sacredness of all human life, the family, the spiritual dimension of the human person, and the call to eternal life."
"If the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church is seen simply as the laying down of laws, and not as the logical and often inevitable consequence of our faith, those who find themselves in these difficult pastoral situations will naturally see the Church as uncaring."
"I didn't miss much because I was having wonderful new experiences. I didn’t get home much because we went by boat back then. I found that I could fit in very well wherever I was."
"The sad problem of Africa is that it abounds with many resources and yet is seen as the poorest continent with women and children seen as the most vulnerable in society."
"Romero has shown us the path a Christian must follow, be what he believes, what he lives, what he professes."
"Perhaps our brother Léon will tell us, and will tell his people, his people of Argentina, of Salvador, in many places where he went: "Now I commit you to God.""
"Commemoration ceremonies are definitely not to seek revenge but to seek justice for the victims and pray."
"Religious leaders should lead by example and should be unifiers and not agents of division."
"The solution to problems is not in violence, nor in confrontation, but above all in dialogue, harmony, and unity among the Bolivian people."
"The sword of St. Michael the Archangel must remember the weapons with which the Christian must always struggle: prayer, unity and love."
"God will use each one of you to build His house thanks to the precious talents received from Him. Though we are limited in some aspects of human nature, God can still use us to accomplish His plans."
"Jesus Christ made Peter the leader of the other Apostles and appointed him as the foundation and source of unity of faith and community in the Church. Metropolitan Archbishops must be vigilant to maintain unity and communion with the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ and the visible head of the Church, namely the Holy Father."
"As Bishops we reach out to touch the hearts of the abandoned, marginalized, ignored and excluded, in an attempt to uplift these people and restore their dignity and legitimate place in society. Go in search of the lost, the last and the marginalized. The courage of those who approach Jesus in the Gospel is a great lesson for everyone. We too must learn to go to him, to seek his merciful face. Jesus felt pity and reached out to help."
"The years of my diplomatic service have taken me to work in different countries with different sensitivities in Church-State relations. In all of them, however, I seemed to perceive a common denominator: the State looks at the Church with attention and interest. Why is this so? Perhaps because the Church has always shown itself to be more inclined to what unites than to what divides."
"We, who are baptised, must ask ourselves what we should do to make Christ present in Zambia. There is need to leave everything, our preferences and follow Jesus. To preach the good news of Jesus, to preach the beauty of our Catholic faith with courage and firmness and more especially with our lives."
"The Church wasn't meant to separate people, but to unite those who are separated. And if there are differences as a result of different sensibilities, we should always be open to listen, to dialogue, without prejudice."
"Flowers are a gift of the Creator and their beauty speaks a language all their own. To offer a flower is a sign of sharing and caring between the giver and the receiver."
"After Sri Lanka, Africa and Japan, it's a different world in the same world. Each area has its own particular challenge."
"I look back nostalgically to that time, thirty-five years ago, when we worked and prayed and studied together. I remember Father De Paoli as a man of few words, but he observed events objectively, with a keen eye, and his judgments were sound."
"We must start anew from the Paschal Event to encounter our European culture. Christianity carries in its heart a "death of God", a night, that went beyond any cultural proclamation of the nothingness or of the "death of God". In the reason for Christ on the Cross we can find all the reasons of man. I believe that this is the most breathtaking point in the encounter between Christian annunciation and our European culture."
"The world is suffering. In large part, its misery comes from a lack of a sense of God. The role of the Pope is to point people towards God who is the source of love and truth. With openness to the Transcendent... public life can become active and fruitful, and society, even a global society, can be transformed for the good."
"Your mission is to spread hope everywhere, we are baptized as children of hope. Do not be depressed, you are our future and we do not want you to say that you are depressed. In order to build a nation, we need our young people to be firmly anchored in moral values. As young Christians, you are called to live the Christian values of faith, hope and love: to build a society with goodness, I urge you to live these values."
"We are created by God. So, we have to thank the Lord for the gift of life and take care of the house that the Lord gave us, which is the earth."
"You know, as nuncio, as a representative of the Holy Father, I am saddened and ashamed, that when in a neighboring country crosses are erected, it is bishops and priests of all people who think they have to criticize the decision. That is a disgrace! That is unacceptable."
"My ongoing duty will be to support and strengthen the climate of mutual respect and trust through sincere and constructive dialogue, and I am sure, Mr. President, that I can count on your help and on your kind understanding, as well as on the good intentions and help of all people of good will, regardless of their religious and political affiliations."
"What matters is following your conscience as a Catholic. Everyone had this duty in Poland."
"Do not forget that in the person of the bishop, Jesus is present among his people, and by your service you will announce fearlessly the Word of God and sanctify the faithful through the sacraments."
"As the Pope's representative I very much hope firstly to be able of course to be a support to the local church, that's our first task, and also to in some way do whatever I can to facilitate the ongoing peace."
"The instruments are not political, they are the Christian virtues, in the first place fraternal charity. This is the principle which I have always tried to follow in my work in Russia, the attempt to increase a mutual understanding and respect that are born from the common Christian vocation."
"If Christians in Portugal keep their love for Our Lady strong, I believe that it will also keep their faith alive, which will bring them directly to Jesus."
"He is more preoccupied about the fate of the children who are far away and do not share in the full communion of affection. Such is the attitude of the Holy Father with regard to Chinese Catholics on both sides of the Strait of Taiwan. Since I am not a prophet, I cannot tell you what will happen in the future to our relations. As a true mother, the Church will not and cannot abandon her children, whatever country they may find themselves in."
"Raise awareness among young people about this issue. Young people are the ones who need greater awareness of the problem; they are the ones who must participate actively in various activities."
"Blessed is the Bishop who for the sake of the Gospel is not afraid to go against the current, who makes his face hard like that of Christ heading to Jerusalem without letting himself be held by misunderstandings and obstacles because he knows that the kingdom of God advances in the contradiction of the world."
"The most important thing is not what we do in the Eucharist, but what we are through the Eucharist."
"Vocation is a process by which a seed needs to be nurtured to maturity. Training to be a leader in the Church requires following the seminary programme of discipline, being loyal to Church teaching and loving the Holy Father. It means listening to the voice of the Lord, discerning His call and making daily sacrifices as one goes along in this path of formation that is human, spiritual and intellectual."
"In almost every article, two basic requirements are referred to: compliance with Brazilian laws and equal treatment with other confessions. So no privilege, no discrimination. Indeed, one may well say that with this agreement the Church further promotes religious freedom and facilitates legal relations with the State for other religious institutions."
"Christianity is not innate or automatic. It is something we receive and learn through our parents, our family, our whanau, our parish community, and later on the wider Catholic community reinforces it."
"Healing entire populations of the consequences of war and armed conflicts, especially the people that have been most affected and victimized, is the best investment in building up true security and a durable peace."
"In my new, delicate role, I would be an instrument in building bridges with China. I am very excited at the beginning of this mandate, and I also feel the responsibility of a post that covers a vast field: taking care of the pastoral life of more than 1,000 church districts. I hope that the Church's evangelizing and the missionary work of this Congregation may take on a new momentum, especially in countries with ancient traditions and cultures, such as China and India."
"I have always tried to have good contact with all of you and I know that you are very good Bishops and as the Papal Visit showed the Catholic Church in this country is strong. I can assure you that the Catholic community of the UK will always be in my heart. Thank you to every one of you."
"We renew our commitment to serve the Church and the country which means operating, in fidelity to Christian values, concrete solidarity for the poor and the needy; working to promote peace and to defend the fundamental rights of every human person."
"When international solidarity weakens the needs will continue to exist."
"Sometimes it involves missionary work, sometimes it is diplomatic work in the literal sense of the word. First of all, my work is to represent the Holy Father. My second task is to observe what is going on and my third is to report."
"Presently the clergy is almost entirely made up of native Taiwanese, and these are seeds that will bear fruit with time. I am very satisfied with what has taken place."
"Today I pray in a special way for peace and harmony in this country, so that with God's help and through the intercession of Our Lady of Budslau we can overcome."
"It is necessary to have the rich and the poor, because the rich are destined to provide employment for the poor. If everyone were rich, no one would want to work. It's not possible for all of us to be at the same level."
"With all my human and spiritual strength, I invite everyone's consciences to reach a truce and allow a rapid return to national dialogue in order to find an appropriate solution together and therefore solve the crisis."
"Ladies and gentlemen, you will find in your prseence a great body of men who, with many courage and the true Christian spirit, have bound themselves together for the great cause of temperance. Follow their example, for the cause of temperance means the cause of Christian perfection and the cause of suffering humanity. Should you, however, not find it convenient to join their ranks, at least help their cause by your prayers and your constant co-operation. Gentlemen of the Total Abstinence Union, we admire your spirit of self-abnegation in professing the great virtue of total abstinence, and we appreciate your efforts in encouraging it both by words and example. Your associations are of paramount importance for the spiritual and temporal welfare of our people, and are, consequently, of great service to religion and society."
"As a diplomat with some experience of international crises, I do not hide the fact that there are no magic solutions to this crisis. The strict logic of selfish national interests and various lobbies have been active for some time and can prevent any rational solution."
"I would say that we must learn to overcome historical resentment. History has a weight in each of us and in social life, it cannot be denied, but we cannot be slaves of this history by repeating the same mistakes and clashes. We must put the common good above all."
"War can never more be considered a means of resolving conflicts. Yet war, when it occurs, can only be won through peace, and peace won through negotiations, dialogue and reconciliation."
"During my teenage years I felt the passion for the mission, which has never stopped over the years. When I was still in good health and no longer Bishop in Padua, I felt the inspiration to go on a mission in the Apostolic Prefecture of Robe, where there were few people to help the very poor population. As Bishop I am the successor of the Apostles, and here I compare myself and I am inspired by the ministry of the first Apostles and St. Paul. I consider it God's grace. Here I am a "simple missionary", without any other titles."
"The announcement of the Gospel always goes together with charity and human promotion."
"If then the saint's sermons were on the whole moral rather than doctrinal, it was less because he preached to meet the wants of his day, and those whom he addressed had not strayed from dogmatic truth; they were still "hearers", if not "doers", of the Word. For this reason Francis set aside all questions more theoretical than practical, and returned to the Gospel."
"There are some who confuse the phrase "official State religion" with the idea that "minorities do not belong here.""
"The first gift that the Pope has given us and it is one that is visible on the faces of Angolans. From there, we can find the strength to continue on our mission of announcing the Gospel with a renewed spirit, in communion with the Holy Father."
"We have to give account only to God. The contribution of the Catholic Church in Ghana cannot be reduced in numbers, because we deal with persons, persons with wonderful dignity regardless of their origins, tribes and religion. A human person is the noblest being on earth. We believe that he is coming and going to God, for that reason we want to serve God through him in the best way."
"The pope, by virtue of his primacy of jurisdiction, has the right to send legates to provide for the unity of Faith and for ecclesiastical discipline, and to choose them at will. Though self-evident, this authority of the pope has been contested from a very early period."
"I am very happy to have the opportunity to build fraternal solidarity between the Catholic Church of Korea and Burkina Faso through Saint Andrew Kim. I believe this will allow us to be more deeply united in the love of God. It is a great honor to keep the remains of Saint-André Kim in a cathedral in Burkina Faso. It is a sign of unity and communion of the saints."
"We should be apostles of good with at least the same zeal and interest with which the wicked propagate evil. For every effort, for every sacrifice, which we make for the Children of Christ as yet outside the Church of Christ, we shall receive a hundred-fold return."
"Knowing the author personally and admiring his qualities of mind and heart; his sound learning, his rare powers of exposition as a teacher, his priestly zeal and earnestness, I feel confident that his book will be helpful to many souls in this country."
"Gentle as I am now towards every one, it is part of my character never to give way to fear, or to do anything under compulsion."
"King Louis and Cardinal Jouffroy were a well matched pair."
"He was a man passionately devoted to letters, and somewhat vehement in character. At the conclave of 1758, he was on the point of being elected Pope: he had obtained eighteen votes; but the fears inspired by the inequality of his temper caused him to be set aside."
"His character was impetuous and haughty, especially towards the Romans."
"Only by successful war can we obtain peace."
"His wise and unwearying efforts to reform his diocese, whose clergy were in a deplorable state, were crowned with unhoped-for success."
"Every historical epoch has its special conflict, and from the sixteenth century down to our own time the conflict has been between liberty and authority. It is the office of religious and social truth to establish harmony between these two terms. The excess of social authority leads to oppression, and the excess of liberty leads to license and the disorganization of the social fabric. The equilibrium of the two constitutes and maintains the life of all society. Proofs are not needed to show that it has ever been the highest glory of the Catholic Church, I do not say to have invented either social authority or social freedom, but to have maintained the equilibrium and established the harmony of the one with the other."