Roman Catholic Archbishops

"Disabled people have to be protected. A society which will not protect the weak has no respect for human dignity."

"You have so many instances of people in non-canonical marriage that really require a decree of nullity. So the whole question of the procedure of the decree of nullity and how the process intimidates people – we need to look at that in terms of how we address the pastoral needs of marriage in our region."

"To spread the faith is to make more people know God. To spread the faith is to live well our role and responsibility in society. We spread the faith not only by words but also by the good examples of our life in relation to our brothers and sisters of the same human race. Today's society is in need of many witnesses of the Good News, and only the witnesses with concrete good deeds have persuasive power to the people, for actions speak louder than words."

"I am fully convinced that in the person of the new Pope we have: a man of faith, a man of the Church, a man who feels with the Church. I ask everyone to pray for the new Pope, because he is God’s gift to the Church. Undoubtedly the election of the new Pope is a moment of great hope for all the members of the Church and for all who, while not members, appreciate the work of the Church."

"The local Catholic Church here, together with other religions present in Thailand, we have sought to offer our contribution encouraging our people to pray, promoting dialogue with everyone, educating to legality and social justice and morality in social and political activity."

"We thought that we are on the way to democracy, to freedom. But again, now, it collapsed again to the military and we have no right to speak about human rights and we have practically no dialogue."

"Where the bond with the diocese is strongest there is a great flourishing of religious life."

"There is no limit to possibilities when you are certain that the message you carry has something valid to offer. It is bound to make an impact even if it takes time. What the carrier of the Good News has to do is to work according to the rhythms of human nature and the processes of history and wait for the action of the Lord."

"Catholic education aims at forming the whole person. It is involved in the training of the head, the heart and the hands of any individual. It does not concentrate on the intellect alone but also aims at building up other aspects of the human individual. To be fully human and genuinely responsible citizen founded on solid faith sums up the goals of Catholic education."

"The challenge is already there to create an atmosphere of harmony. In addition, new ways of evangelization have to be adopted, not making Christians alone but making humans out of each one."

"I am a person who believes in inter-faith dialogue. The tensions and intolerance we see in society today is because there is a declining trend of communication between various religious institutions. We know so less about each other. Communication and dialogue is the only way we can remove this veil of suspicion."

"The Church is ready to mediate…we want to bring our own building block to the edifice, in respect of the truth. We want to show the right path to follow, that the sons and daughters of this country should listen, speak with one another and move forward."

"Young girls are not free to live in this society, we are trying to do what we can, from the grassroots to my office, to see that domestic violence is reduced to zero."

"The Martyrs themselves are role models for our Christian families in Africa, Uganda and especially in Tororo."

"The Shroud is a reality that concerns everyone. The Shroud image that Turin has preserved for almost five centuries testifies to pain and death, but also to resurrection and eternal life."

"Those who become Catholics really want to find the Truth, because relativism is very strong in Sweden. They no longer know what is true or what is not true, what is good and what is not good. The Catholic Church has kept its Tradition since the origins of Christianity, and that too is very important to many people. The universal and timeless nature of the Church is very attractive."

"Q: You were 20 years old when you converted to Catholicism. What brought about your conversion? A: In my childhood, I had contact with several Catholics. I wanted to find out about their faith. After a year and a half of religious instruction, I could finally say with joy, “Truth has been given to me…"

"We must do what is possible to involve the Lutheran Church and the evangelical communities in the common work of rendering Christ and his message alive for the greatest possible number of people in Sweden."

"We are already struggling to teach morality to our children at all levels in our schools and they want to bring this in. It is unacceptable."

"Protect our sacred places and objects, to denounce any desecrator, any suspect and any accomplice."

"Aware that in every competition there are bound to be winners and losers, we wish to call on all stakeholders to exhibit maturity in accepting both defeat and victory. In this way, reactions to any of the two conditions would be measured, modest and charitable towards one another."

"The presence of 22 different ethnic groups in our diocese is a problem but it is also a reason for hope for the future. It presents a challenge because it means being familiar with 22 different traditions and customs, but it is also a motive for hope because these differences are a source of mutual enrichment."

"I cannot come in with preconceptions of any issue. I need to listen what we can do to resolve and heal the wounds left in the community."

"The Catholic Church in Greece must play the game of the European Union, pushing for a secular, free, independent and modern state."

"The current situation, although difficult, is not the worst. There is a spirit of solidarity among the people."

"The Pope teaches us that dialogue between religions is an important instrument for building peace. Our country has people of some 130 different ethnic groups, 60% Muslim. We need to cultivate dialogue and communion."

"We have the fundamental right to profess our faith, and no one can deprive us. We must be united, to promote justice and defend Christian values"

"For far too long, language has been a highly sensitive issue in this diocese. The language issue has become a divisive issue in Catholic parishes throughout the diocese. Since Bangalore is Karnataka's capital, we must enhance the status of Kannada, the State's main language."

"I make decisions consultatively with others, not in a vacuum, and I know in doing so I'm listening to the Holy Spirit and to those who advise me to look out for God's people. I really compare it to being a parent in a family. Sometimes parents have to make unpopular decisions that might not be understood by everyone in the family, and they might be disliked for a while, but I think parents have to make decisions for the good of the whole family."

"People think that I have more power than I do. As the archbishop, I have to live not by "fiat" or by decree, but I have to live by gathering the people of God. Some people say that all I have to do is say it to be done, but it doesn't work that way. It is a position for great responsibility within the Church, but it is a ministry of the Church. I think that any power that I exercise has to be exercised with humility and in the light of the Gospel."

"Be a true shepherd to your people — caring, loving and available. Although you will not always succeed, a loving shepherd will make an impact for years to come. Don’t neglect your own spiritual life. The temptation, when priests get busy, is to give up times of prayer and spiritual development in order to do more pastoral work."

"It is better to die of hunger than to receive aid and be compelled to do things that are contrary to God's desire."

"We are very proud of our priests. Of course we would need more of them. Most priests have more than one parish to care for but they are very dedicated and zealous. Our priests are poor and a life of poverty is a good means of witness."

"You've got that personality that people are drawn to and like to be around, and it's because of the joy you bring. If we believe what is in the Gospel, how can we not be filled with joy? You exemplify it."

"We must walk together, preserving our culture and identifying but paying respect to difference, to the other person. We can work in a way pleasing to God only while respecting, appreciating and helping each other. Let us walk together!"

"At the Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education we have been unanimous in revising the present format because situations have changed."

"We will do our part, but everything is in God's hands, but one thing is certain: Niña now offers herself to us and to the faithful around the world, especially children and young people, as a model of Christian life. In her life she chose the path of holiness, she wanted to be close to the heart of God, she accepted and was faithful to the will of God in her journey. At this time we continue to ask for her intercession and we continue to work for the cause, praying and hoping that one day, God willing, she will be presented to us by Mother Church as Saint Niña Ruiz-Abad."

"As priests while fearing and paying attention to the Covid virus, let's not let our fears paralyze us in action, forgetting the people who need us. Do not hesitate to face the challenges posed by the pandemic with courage, but go towards the faithful showing mercy and compassion"

"It's a journey we're walking together and with the different structures in the Church that involve all lay faithful, no bag of answers will remain untouched with God in control. Just like Jesus asked for the what the disciples had to feed the large crowd, we all have a role to play. What the faithful suggest, we shall work together."

"I am a man of faith therefore a bearer of hope. All is not lost. With the help of the international community peace can still be saved."

"Minorities have been asserting their rights but bureaucrats and education officials have tried to downplay them. I wish all the best to all our educationists that they might turn the High Court order into a reality."

"How do we deepen the faith of our people? People are simple and have faith, but this needs to be renewed and revitalized, to awaken missionary zeal into our people. We need to focus on training and creating a new leadership of lay faithful. Another challenge we face is the poverty among the Catholic community, too, and they too need holistic development."

"It is time we should be united and firm in our faith as there will be attempts to divide people in the name of religion, caste and creed."

"Poor people are being treated like animals here. How else can they conduct surgeries in unhygienic conditions and send them home with spurious drugs? We are shocked to learn that the illiterate young women were not even told about the impact of sterilization surgery. It has been going on for a long time. The tragedy has brought it out now."

"It is very hard to promote and create a society with generations of people that all they have known is violence."

"To me, issues of pleasure should not be mixed with issues of life and death. All said and done, I stand with the position of the Catholic Church."

"Certainly, it is my conviction and belief that, peace project is God's project. He only employs us as workers in the field; therefore we have to be attentive to listen through the word of God and Scripture and the Social teaching of the Church. It is the re-echoing the voice of God."

"If this presence, however slight, is removed from the Middle East, then it will be very difficult to recover. Our mere presence here is almost a form of silent announcement: you can make the gospels known outside the church without preaching it in words. There are no illusions here, but we are hopeful”"

"We must be pastors near the people. Support with love and patience the steps taken by God in his people."

"It is up to us Christians to announce that man needs God to have meaning for his life and for eternal life, without the illumination that comes from the cross of Christ, we would not be able to resolve the inner issues of our hearts."