Roman Catholic Archbishops

"Faced with the present situation in Spain the Lord calls us Catholics to suffer and be scorned because we are Christians, Christian religious sentiment is attacked and ridiculed by certain media."

"His death saddens all who knew him. We have lost an excellent shepherd."

"Closeness makes sharing possible for authorities with our people, particularly the most vulnerable. Listening allows us to discover how people live, want and expect; and not exactly just what we like to hear. Service is the guiding principle of every project and social, political or economic program."

"We always run the risk of turning into administrators if we are too many years in a job."

"During the period of Socialism and Communism in many countries of Eastern Europe, there was a tendency requiring the separation of the bishops from the Pope, the priests from the bishop and the faithful from the priests. The purpose was the need to fragment the Church in order that no one could ever reconstruct it again. Nevertheless, this did not occur. The bishops played a decisive role."

"while we believe in the democratic process, the best decisions are made when we do the right thing for the right reason."

"With great joy we shall go to serve without fear, because the reason, and our goal, is Jesus Christ."

"Dr. Wiseman was particularly pleased by the conversion of a Mr. Morris, who, as he said, was ‘the author of the essay, which won the prize on the best method of proving Christianity to the Hindoos.’"

"Modern trends of globalization and liberalization have sapped the faith of the younger generation. Nothing is valuable for young people nowadays. There is a need to inculcate faith once again."

"I remind you that it is not a personal award, it is to let everyone see the need to work for the understanding among all Venezuelans, overcoming all kinds of violence is the only way that will allow us a future of peace and harmony."

"The Church has no intention of getting involved in politics, nor does she aspire to participate in the administration of temporal affairs. Her specific contribution will be that of strengthening the spiritual and moral foundation of society, making it possible that all activity in the area of the common good take place in conformity and in tune with the directives and requirements of human and Christian ethics."

"Proclaiming the Gospel to the poor is top priority for the religious and for all Christians in Bangladesh. Announcing the Good News of Jesus is the precious mission that all priests and all religious share in their commitment to the evangelization."

"Forcible conversion is an oxymoron and self-contradictory. As Christians, we do not believe in forcible conversion. We respect all religions and hold that all religions contain "seeds of truth". At the same time, the discretion and the freedom of an individual is constitutionally sacrosanct."

"As Christians, we trust in the help and the grace of God. Besides even political leaders say that Christians are very important for the future of the nation, as bearers of values and humanism that can help social and religious groups to unite and build a harmonious, correct and fraternal society."

"We have to witness to what produces our following of Christ so than man may grow personally according to the Spirit, and new forms of life have appeared that are more in accordance with human dignity. At this time of history the great service the church is called upon to provide in Europe is that of showing her true identity."

"Jesus Christ confirmed the inviolability of human life when he was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and identified Himself with all stages of our human life."

"Only faith can console and make people go forward in the current tragedy, we live this terrible suffering with faith in Providence."

"We globalize poverty, especially the poverty of spirit, but Mother Teresa globalized the vocation or the call to preach God's wisdom and spirit of love."

"Seeing so many people in St. Peter's Square waiting for the announcement was truly moving. There was anticipation, so much joy, so much desire. I had a lump in my throat. I wondered what I would have done if I had been in the new Pope's place, and I thought I would have done as in the film by Nanni Moretti: I would have stepped out onto the balcony, and after seeing so many people, I would have closed it and said, “I can't do it”. [...] I knew about FantaPapa because I talked about it with my grandchildren, and we exchanged words of esteem."

"Welcoming someone has no expiry date or time limit, as long as you ‘stay on the straight and narrow’. If you are a child, you are a child. If you are a brother, you are a brother, this is always your home. Then I may disagree, I may disagree completely. There has been a lot of discussion within the Church about the Zan bill. For example: is surrogacy a problem? Yes, it is a problem. But if you ask me to baptise a child born in this way, I will say: of course! I will do it. I have done it."

"Those who come from afar seem like enemies, but only because no one has ever spoken to them. Don't believe those who tell you not to talk to them: you just have to find the right way to talk to them. ... Sometimes it seems that selfishness is convenient, but it only hurts us. Love is always convenient, love always wins. We must learn to do works of mercy, not works of selfishness."

"Journalist: Welby was denied a funeral. If a person died by assisted suicide, would you celebrate their funeral? Cardinal Zuppi: Yes. However, I must clarify one point: the Church does not allow euthanasia, but calls for the application of palliative care. We remain at the side of our loved ones until the very end, doing everything possible to relieve their physical and spiritual suffering, without any form of aggressive treatment, but always defending the dignity of the person. The complexity of the situation requires intelligence, mercy and love in order to understand the events of life."

"On abortion, the 194 Law was painful, but it seems to me to guarantee, for some too little, for some too much and it has an important secular translation, so much so that no one is going to question it. Granted that we have to get out of the Oriazi and Curiazi scheme, the deterrent part, about avoiding a woman's suffering, the consultories, can be applied more."

"A cardinal must be an example, must be a man who unites... "the hinge," from which cardinal is derived. It consists of being precisely the instrument that holds other objects together. So, all the more reason I feel the importance of being a witness of unity and of believing so greatly in the communion that unites those who are different."

"If everyone finds a home in the church, then they will also understand or rediscover the rules in this house. Nobody can make the one of the many cheap feel-good providers or one of the many counselling services."

"Political love frees us from the distortion of ideologies and restores to us the most noble value, which is to seek what unites us and resolve what divides us."

"Declaration of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, Fiducia supplicans is placed within the horizon of mercy, of the Church's loving gaze on all of God's children, without, however, departing from the teachings of the Magisterium. God wants everyone to be saved. It is therefore the Church's task to be interested in each and every person. We cannot forget that all the baptized," he added, "enjoy the full dignity of 'children of God' and, as such, are our brothers and sisters. There is no questioning of the meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage. We are open to dialogue, but we will not let others tell us what the content of charitable action or mission is, which are never partisan, because the only part of the Church is Christ and the defense of the person, of life, from beginning to end."

"It’s impossible to consider oneself a Catholic if that person in one way or another recognizes same-sex marriage as a right."

"Legalized abortion signifies calling what is good, evil, what is light, shadow. Satan has laid the foundations for his ‘creation’: to remove from creation the image of God, to obscure His presence therein. At the root of this is the work of Satan, who wants to build an actual anti-creation. This is the ultimate and terrible challenge which Satan is hurling at God. ‘I am demonstrating to you that I am capable of constructing an alternative to your creation. And man will say: it is better in the alternative creation than in your creation."

"There is a deep harmony. Pope Francis manages to reach so many people, he touches their hearts, warms them, makes them feel loved, makes them feel that the Church is close to them, a Church that listens to you, that cares about your problems. The Pope has a great pastoral vision and proclaims the eternal truths in today's language and categories. Above all, he helps us understand that the social and the spiritual are intimately united. And woe betide anyone who divides them."

"If Pope Leo XIV was chosen in such a short time,“ the IEC president added, ”it means that there was a convergence, a coming together. And I think it is a great value. A unity like this, at a time like this, I think it is a beautiful indication and also a great responsibility."

"Witness to the presence of God in the world to counter groups and strong forces which openly try to destroy the idea of Jesus Christ in the world."

"You become dizzy due to the immensity of what marriage means, but when you're in love, these things become easier. I find myself in love with the Lord and with the mission he is entrusting to me."

"Good Catholic parents are the future of the Church. Sharing and caring for each other is the good example you must set before your children. Your mission is the evangelization of all your children... to make your marriage work and your children grow in God´s grace you must have a prayerful family."

"The working world is open to the work of the new evangelization, because it is open to the laws of man which are defended by the Church. We need witnesses of Christ - of lay apostles but also of priests: not as trade-unionists but as proclaimers of the gospel which would respect the autonomy and the independence of the State and of the Church in full co-operation for the good of mankind and society. Christ is the hope for the working world."

"It is not the Church's task to decide on what action must be taken but violence must be stopped."

"Seek out reconciliation and forgiveness through all means possible. The spiritual force within each person must be activated to overcome the threats to human dignity."

"It pains me to leave, it pains me to leave you as pastor of this particular Church that is on pilgrimage in La Plata, but I am sure that God has much better plans that I cannot finish deciphering today."

"Surely, in the coming days there will be a deluge of advertisements after they inaugurate the house where a fat man dressed in red lives. And we should not confuse, we should not confuse Christmas with that. Know that, in reality, the gifts come from the efforts of parents and with the help of Jesus."

"I have been sent to the people of Chattogram as Pastor, my essential plan is to lead the life of the flock entrusted to me according to the teachings of Christ. We want to build a relationship of brotherhood. Being a missionary is our key responsibility as baptized. To create a vibrant and mature community, we need the active cooperation of an exemplary leadership of the laity."

"Due to extensive tourism marketing, these tribal people, who were the first settlers of the island are threatened, abused, deprived of their rights. Their land is occupied and the goal is to expel them altogether. As a Church we are close to the natives through apostolic groups, pastoral care and social action in the Diocese of Kalibo. We try to defend their rights and their lives. They are our brothers and sisters, innocent people and helpless in the face of abuse."

"The first factor in determining one's vote is the position that the candidate takes on the value of the human person. Many candidates, in spite of the laws, continue taking advantage of the needs of the people in order to obtain votes. Because of this we can barely say we live in a democracy."

"Apart from the catastrophic sacrifices and material and human consequences, wars destroyed the future ethical norms and moral values of many generations. In years of many wars this territory was penetrated by a wave of deep and primordial hatred which in the rage of war destroyed human hearts and all human relations and certainly religious relations. For 45 years communism ploughed negative furrows in the souls of many people. It destroyed most of what not even World War II had erased. It destroyed the sense of the holy, the sacred, morals and honesty, the religious and ecclesiastical sense."

"Bishops' Conferences must create space for us to discern evangelization in our spiritual and pastoral lives. As father and brother we bishops must travel closely with our priests evaluating their parish apostolates and keeping before them the light of Evangelization. We must welcome the new movement but continue with them to keep the vision of the diocese within the contours of their charisms."

"Lent can be an opportunity to rediscover the beauty and joy of being a family and that every human person is called to be part of a family because the Creator wished mankind to be a family."

"Do your best to preserve the unity, and love among you. It's the most precious treasure of our archdiocese. With the love that already exists among us, love Mgr. Peter as you have loved me."

"We can't forget that we are just laborers in the Lord's vineyard; we can't forget that the Church will outlive us and will continue to operate even after we are gone"

"There are some continuing biases against Muslims. Even by our political leaders in society, thus we must form them, we must equip them... so that there could be true dialogue by eliminating biases in the pursuit of peace. It makes me afraid because my responsibility is now bigger. Zamboanga has faced many challenges."

"I think I can say that living in the Divine Will is to walk precisely in this direction: to enter into intimacy with the Lord Jesus in the shadow of God's presence, allowing Jesus to accompany us and living our life with Him in every aspect. And so, it is not a question of doing the Divine Will in the sense of a purely material execution, as servants, but of living in It as children and letting ourselves be embraced by the love of God."

"To have a stable and consistent unity in a future Europe, we must define its anthropological foundations, ethical principles, hierarchy of spiritual values. There will be not unity without such a basis. For 2000 years, Christianity shaped the spiritual heritage of our continent, sharing its hopes and its dramas. It is our duty to continue this mission by looking for personalistic anthropology and preaching the same Gospel of hope in a radically new context of the new evangelisation."