people-from-veneto

"Is it right to declare a person dead based on a legal convention whose sole purpose is to facilitate organ transplants?"

"Unfortunately, all organs, with the exception of corneas, have this unfortunate characteristic: in order to be transplanted, they must be removed from the “donor's” body while their heart is still beating, their blood is still circulating, their skin is still rosy and warm, their kidneys are still secreting urine, and any pregnancy is still continuing, to the extent that it is necessary to administer curare drugs to prevent unpleasant reactions when the surgeon makes the incision. Do these seem like corpses to you? Yes, transplant surgeons assure us. No, according to a law of the state: in fact, “corpse means: ‘The human body deprived of cardiorespiratory and cerebral functions’” (Ministry of Health circular no. 24 of 24 June 1993)."

"(About w:fr:Adrien Candiard) He could have followed in his father's footsteps, this young man who will turn 40 on 31 October. When he decided to embrace the novitiate, he was one of the most highly regarded ghostwriters for Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was running in the French presidential primaries. He left DSK halfway through the race, almost as if he had foreseen the sex scandal that would force the socialist economist, who had since become managing director of the International Monetary Fund, to resign in New York in 2011."

"Alessandro Nanni Costa, director of the National Transplant Centre, argues that in 40 years, the criteria for determining brain death “have never been questioned by the scientific community and are applied in all scientifically advanced countries”. But not in Japan. Is Japan to be considered a scientifically backward country?"

"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."

"The main challenges facing the Church in Asia in her pastoral care of migrants are: violation of human rights; language difficulties; social injustice and economic unbalance; interreligious dialogue; consider migrants not as objects of evangelisation but as the subjects of mission."

"Many elements of the African culture are falling, following the, impact with so-called advanced modernity. They will continue to be unconfoundable elements of the African soul which will remain, and will be the basis for encounter with faith in Christ."

"The future of prosecco in Veneto can only rhyme alongside quality and sustainability."

"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."

"The most important thing is not what we do in the Eucharist, but what we are through the Eucharist."

"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 Christians of Asia need to open up, to meet their non-Christian brothers and sisters, to have courage, remaining consistent with our faith, and to recognize the greatness of their spiritual values by looking for what unites us before stopping before what separates us. If the other person sees our sincere esteem and our spontaneous love, he or she cannot remain indifferent forever."

"In their search for happiness, they've discovered that it is found in an intense and fascinating relationship with Jesus, in giving of themselves to help others to get to know Him."

"I see Vatican II in continuity with all the ecumenical councils, not as a shooting star, but as part of a constellation, though having some of its own characteristics. Hence, it does not constitute a break, a sort of birth of a new Church."

"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."

"I like highlighting a specific charism of this theologian pope: his ability to communicate important issues of the faith in a language accessible to all the Christian people. This specific characteristic makes the most of the spiritual and cultural training of this Pontiff and is also a particular gift for all believers, who look to the Pope so they may feel steadfast and directed in their faith, and that happens when the Christian people hear words accessible to all."

"If the Church helps people, it means there is need. This would mean that the revolution has not succeeded in satisfying the people's needs."

"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 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."

"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."

"+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."

"Fundamentalism is always a sign of the desperation of reason and the defeat of faith."

"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 are representatives of the Holy Father, but this corresponds to dialogue with the Catholic Church,"

"If the tsunami damaged communications, roads and bridges, the twenty year old conflict has broken human communication digging divides and gulfs between individuals, communities and ethnic groups. This is the greatest tragedy and Christians are called to build bridges of peace and reconciliation to be builders of bridges, or pontifex, following the example of Christ. He is the bridge between heaven and earth, between God and humanity; and with his message of service and love he is also a bridge between people of different origin, culture, language and customs."

"The prosecco hills are a resource and need to be defended, but they also need to be respected. Monoculture damages the environment everywhere and it will eventually boomerang on the region. We need to be more responsible."

"We need these things because our faith runs the risk of being nothing but words. We need events from the Gospel like this in order to make it real, in order to strengthen our faith"

"The fact that some priests have experienced relationships and have brought children into the world does not affect the theme of priestly celibacy, which represents a precious gift for the Latin Church, the ever-present value of which has been expressed by the recent Popes, from St Paul VI to Pope Francis. Similarly, cases of abandonment of the matrimonial union and from the children do not take away from the ever-present value of Christian marriage."

"I discovered that I have a great passion for radio and this is teaching me: I am acquiring great confidence and dialectical skills. I love how the radio enhances the expression of a content and not the appearance of the person who utters it. Having said that, however, I don't want to be hypocritical: if they offered me to run a good TV program, I'd take it."

"The social world has become more raw than it was a few years ago and, I believe, the credit goes to the new generations. They don't want to see perfection, they hate the stereotype of the all-beautiful always. If my mother or grandmother had seen an advertisement for a cream sponsored by a model with perfect skin, they would certainly have thought they could buy it. Now, thanks to social media, in advertisements and in photos and Stories we can talk about acne problems, about skins that are anything but perfect."

"Today, the image always comes first, and it is enough to look at the women on our television to realize it. I don't want to make a bundle of all the grass, but having a nice and seductive image is necessary. I don't even know if it is wrong: a beautiful woman is right to be appreciated also for her own aesthetics. The problem occurs when, at an audition and with the same talent, the girl with the dress is taken instead of the girl in the suit. I realized I had a weapon available, my body, and I decided to use it. It is wrong, however, that talent alone is not enough."

"I had trouble accepting my being a woman, my changing body. I've always hid under loose clothing, and I still do some of it. From the outside, it is not perceived, the television returns something else and I avoid putting the oversized sweatshirt in public. However, I have always had a tendency to want to hide rather than show."

"Perhaps Catholics in Georgia are less enthusiastic, but this is normal. It is just like a plane: it takes off quickly, but then it has to keep the route. I am not worried."

"It is beautiful to bear witness for a God who teaches us through His heart to broaden our horizons, to stop concentrating solely on our own interests and instead open up more and more. That is His love for us. And that is what we should bear witness to and teach. That is the good news, the gospel. And for me that it is the colour of Catholicism."

"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."

"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."

"The "easiest" and most effective in helping the Holy Land is by going there on pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is good for both the pilgrim and the local Christian and is not an added burden for anyone."

"Without being a prophet, I am optimistic, in spite of everything. I trust the Tunisian people who want to live in peace and build their own Country."

"Ours is an apostolate of life: we present Christ simply trying to live according to his teachings."

"Here the Church was born and then went out to others, with the wounds of the passion still in one hand and a piece of bread in the other."

"The first planes, at the time, were called "flying churches." Entrusting to Our Lady of Loreto all those who boarded an aircraft was, therefore, completely natural. We are called to fly high, we are called to holiness, to the fullness of life and happiness that is the holiness offered by the Lord."

"The Holy House of Loreto invites us to invoke Mary, so as not to lose hope in the God of life."

"My opinion is that the best law is an education of quality, that begins in the family, grows at school and finds in society a stimulus for the formation of people. We are greatly lacking in civic friendship, we look at one another as mad people and not as brethren or as people who share the same ideal, the same purpose."

"I expect greater involvement of the Somali diaspora, while better coordination and a unified approach of the international community would be desirable."

"To simplify, we have before us a central power, which is trying to resurface and assert itself, which is facing federal states which, in turn, are trying to make their voice heard. In fact, this confrontation has immobilized the country. The Somali political situation is influenced by the interests of regional and international actors. The price of this situation is the instability paid by the civilian population."

"The importance of proclaiming the kerygma of faith must never be subordinated to any political situation, whether it concerns the Church itself, the general situation or conflict with other Churches. This is obvious and everyone understands it, but it is difficult to put into practice. It is often difficult for Christians in a situation of war not to refer to circumstances, even those of a political nature. And perhaps it is not even right, but this is not what being Christian is all about. People are not saved by a news bulletin instead of a homily because they already see tragedies on television. People need hope, and the only hope is that Christ died and rose again. This is difficult to understand when priests are called to fight at the front, leaving parish communities vacant. Who can give these people widespread hope for survival if not the liturgy, the sacraments, prayer, the priest who comforts and helps: in short, the love of God? How can one think that it is more useful to fight than to manage the morale of the people? But to do so, one must believe in God. And when faith is a kind of veneer, then choices are made which, convinced that they are for the good of the people, call into question the very survival of the people themselves. Instrumentalisation always becomes a strong temptation for those in power to have the Church on their side and for the Church to take advantage. And when you ask to have the Church on your side, it means that you feel fragile."