"The bishop was one quick to discern evils which he was powerless to remove; apt at the formation of plans he lacked the perseverance to execute; and assumed the attitude of a partisan, where it especially behooved a prelate to be unbiassed. Thus he was incessantly interfering in political matters, and personal relations between him and the president were soon exceedingly unpleasant."

"A general feeling of satisfaction prevailed when the appointment of Rivera as viceroy became known, for the fame he had acquired in Guatemala, and during his pastoral labors in the capital, had justly won for him the good opinion of the people."

"This excellent prelate had fulfilled the functions of his bishopric, for nine years, in Guatemala, so satisfactorily to the masses, that his elevation to supreme power in Mexico was hailed as a national blessing. He devoted himself from the first, diligently, to the adornment of the capital and the just and impartial administration of public affairs. He improved the roads and entrances into the city; and, by his moderation, justice and mildness, united with liberality and economy, raised the reputation of his government to such a degree of popular favor that, in the annals of New Spain, it is referred to as a model public administration."

"He had devoted himself earnestly to the duties of his calling, and never lost sight of the fact that the church in New Spain needed much reformation and a more regular organization. While he steadily opposed the encroachments of the regular orders, he was not blind to the shortcomings of the secular clergy and the abuses which prevailed in his see. In his administration he ever sought the advice of men prominent for their excellence and sound judgment."

"One of the great challenges we have, as human beings and as Catholics, to show the truth of life as a mystery and to educate in the truth of the social dimension of the human being. We have to try to show children and young people that the reification of life only brings suffering. It is necessary to educate in responsible freedom."

"In Jesus Christ, was revealed a God of love, who preaches and sends out love. And that love must be shown to men through the word, the sacraments and charity."

"The Christian community of the mother church in Jerusalem has always been in need from the beginning. It is therefore a duty for all Catholics in the world to sustain Christians in that Blessed Land."

"Oculos et vestigia domini, res agro saluberrimas, facilius admittit."

"Juan del Valle y Caviedes [was one] of the brightest, most refreshing figures in the infant New World literature of the seventeenth century. [He was] impressive and [a] multi-faceted [talent], ...a biting satirist, as well as a tender lyricist, and [he] gave evidence of sincere and deeply held religious convictions. ...[He was] judged to be among the most outstanding literary figures of [his] age. [His poetry] exhibits a vitality and diversity seldom found in the often excessively ornate and obscure Baroque poetry then in vogue."

"Y así, enfermos, ojo alerta y ningún médico admitan; mueran de gorra sin dar un real a la medicina."

"Omnia mors poscit. Lex est, non poena, perire."

"Quid enim refert, quantum habeas? multo illud plus est, quod non habes."

"Vivamus, moriendum est."

"Si vis amari, ama."

"Quædam iura non scripta, sed omnibus scriptis certiora sunt."

"He that is a friend to himself, is a friend to all mankind."

"Perierat totus orbis, nisi iram finiret misericordia."

"Magni pectoris est inter secunda moderatio."

"Iniquum est conlapsis manum non porrigere; commune hoc ius generis humani est."

"A batallas de amor, campo de pluma."

"Andeme yo caliente y ríase la gente."

"Busque muy en hora buena el mercader nuevos soles; yo conchas y caracoles entre la menuda arena, escuchando a Filomena sobre el chopo de la fuente."

"La vida es ciervo herido, que las flechas le dan alas."

"Más largo que una noche de Diciembre para un hombre mal casado."

"Mal te perdonarán a ti las horas; las horas que limando están los días, los días que royendo están los años."

"Nulla fides regni sociis, omnisque potestas inpatiens consortis erit."

"In se magna ruunt: laetis hunc numina rebus crescendi posuere modum."

"Libera fortunae mors est; capit omnia tellus quae genuit; caelo tegitur qui non habet urnam."

"Invida fatorum series summisque negatum stare diu nimioque graves sub pondere lapsus nec se Roma ferens."

"Nulli penitus descendere ferro contigit; alta sedent civilis volnera dextrae."

"Coniunx est mihi, sunt nati; dedimus tot pignora fatis."

"Vivit post proelia Magnus sed fortuna perit."

"Iusque datum sceleri."

"Bella...plus quam civilia."

"Libertas ultima mundi quo steterit ferienda loco."

"Nil opus est uotis, iam fatum accersite ferro. in manibus uestris, quantus sit Caesar, habetis."

"Usque adeo solus ferrum mortemque timere auri nescit amor."

"Et primo ferri motu prosternite mundum; sitque palam, quas tot duxit Pompeius in urbem curribus, unius gentes non esse triumphi."

"Plus est quam vita salusque quod perit: in totum mundi prosternimur aevum."

"Quod defles, illud amasti."

"Sed quo fata trahunt virtus secura sequetur. Crimen erit superis et me fecisse nocentem."

"Sit caeca futuri mens hominum fati; liceat sperare timenti."

"O vitae tuta facultas pauperis angustique lares! o munera nondum intellecta deum!"

"Hi mores, haec duri inmota Catonis secta fuit, servare modum finemque tenere naturamque sequi patriaeque inpendere vitam nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo."

"Non tam portas intrare patentis quam fregisse juvat."

"Sed Caesar in omnia praeceps, nil actum credens, cum quid superesset agendum."

"O faciles dare summa deos eademque tueri difficiles!"