Roman Catholic Bishops

"To build a better world every individual must strive to do good, everywhere and with passion and genuine concern, independent from party strategies or programmes. The programme of every Christian must be a "heart which sees" where love is needed and acts accordingly."

"Once we know what our offerings support and how these dollars are spent, we learn how much the Church is doing for so many people."

"God entrusted two sublime two missions to Saint Joseph, the greatest of all the saints: that of husband to the Queen of Angels and Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary; and that of foster father to the Son of God, Jesus. Such a task is even more ineffable and inexpressible than human words can express."

"(to General Étienne Radet during the pope's arrest on the orders of Napolean Bonaparte) Assuredly, my son, those orders will not bring divine orders upon you."

"Vietnamese children can learn to speak Vietnamese even though they're living in the U.S because at home the parents, their brothers and sisters, everybody at home speaks Vietnamese, likewise, Catholic family and Catholic community is very important, to have our young people to understand to profess and to live out the gospel message in our everyday life."

"Nous voulons bien aller jusqu'aux portes de l'enfer; mais nous entendons neus arrêter là."

"I can be a liturgical Agony Aunt, so be it."

"Real happiness, contentment, comes from being at peace with our life because we have a purpose. This is very consoling to me. And I can bear difficulties because I know that I am where God wants me."

"We believe that working tirelessly for the cause of the poor and marginalized (who tend to increase with the so-called "globalization" and with the so-called world "free market") is the best way to accompany our people in their journey towards a faithful way of living our Faith, aware that this attitude of the Priests consists of a clear announcement of the Good News of the Kingdom."

"A child should be punished in a correct and humane manner, not out of anger or revenge but out of love and understanding."

"The Church today needs to overcome all forms of embarrassment or shame in promoting the rights of every person. I really feel the importance of "educating" people in solidarity, or better, in brotherhood/sisterhood, based on the nearness of God himself though the incarnation of his own Son. He will accompany us in our work."

"We want to give back memory, we want to give back dignity to the victims of the crimes in Chojnice."

"I'm a firm believer in giving people a message to take away that they can that they can work on for that day — that if you're trying to overload the message then you're going to lose people. I believe in precision — shooting one arrow, not 50."

"All these ministries are connected in one way or another to the advancement of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. These offices are not ends in themselves. The purpose is to help parishes spread the Gospel and build the Kingdom."

"If we understand the Faith, then we can explain the Faith. And after nearly half a century of failed catechesis, our people are unable to do that, and they don't even remember what some of the answers are, or even that the Church has the answers. So the secret is not just preaching the Word, but preaching the Word to those who claim to be Catholics, and giving them adequate formation to share the Faith."

"The church is not against any group, but we do believe that the poor have legitimate rights that must be respected within the framework of the law."

"We are trying to preach an experience and relationship with Jesus above all else. Many people don't know Jesus or about the Church he founded. A good homily feeds the hunger they have to know Him, and prompts them to go and learn more. Whatever the priest says should flow from his relationship with Jesus."

"Many pray for vocations and leave the rest to God. I wanted to do something more."

"He was so simple and understanding. In him people could see a father and a good shepherd. That was the charisma of Bishop Mathew. He knew that through education, we could eradicate illiteracy and social evils."

"We must always listen to God's voice. He always speaks to us through someone else. So first we must learn to listen to God's divine voice which we may receive through others. Then we will not be misled in our journey of life."

"The Church of Christ does not lack reasons for conversion and for putting discipleship into practice. A disciple Church generating disciples, learning from Christ to let herself be questioned and called upon, with an open heart always concerned for the most humble, the poorest, the most tired and persecuted, for searchers of the truth."

"I enjoy being a pastor, as a pastor, you walk with and care for your flock. The challenge is going to be to shift my focus a little bit. My flock will be the pastors who are under my care, and I will have to walk with and care for them and their flocks."

"I'm in a position now where I really have to think whether I should go to a pub, but I go from time to time with friends and have a glass of wine. It's good to show that a bishop is a normal person."

"People must be able to see within us and within the Church, not the structures and authority we have, but the presence of Jesus Christ. We must avoid the danger of placing so much emphasis on the "Magisterium" of the Church that we lose the sense of the "Mysterium" of the Church."

"Sometimes the bishop risks focusing only on the local dimension. But a bishop should have a much broader vision of the Church and reality, and experience the universality of the Church. He also needs the ability to listen to his neighbour and seek advice, as well as psychological and spiritual maturity. A fundamental element of the portrait of a bishop is being a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community."

"Pope Francis has spoken of four types of closeness: closeness to God, to brother bishops, to priests and to all God's people. One must not give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the church. And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today. The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers."

"I always had the impression of a man who wanted to live the Gospel authentically, consistently. In the days when I was Prior General of the Augustinians, several times during visits to my brothers in Argentina, when he was still a cardinal, I had the opportunity to meet him and speak with him, informally and on more institutional matters'."

"A bishop must not be a little prince sitting in his kingdom."

"Interviewer: You are an Augustinian. How does Augustinian spirituality characterise your ministry? Cardinal Prevost: We could say several things... As my episcopal motto suggests, unity and communion are part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine and also of my way of acting and thinking. I think it is very important to promote communion in the Church, and we know well that communion, participation and mission are the three key words of the Synod. So, as an Augustinian, promoting unity and communion is fundamental for me. St Augustine also speaks a lot about unity in the Church and the need to live it, about the fact that there is a certain guarantee of unity in listening to the Bishop of Rome, in being part of the Church of Rome. In this sense too, therefore, I feel that the Pope's new call is a way of living my unity and participation in the Church, in obedience to the Holy Father. This too is very Augustinian. Interviewer: How much does the figure of Augustine inspire your choices, your steps, your service in the Church? Cardinal Prevost: St Augustine is certainly a great figure not only for the order but for everyone. I wish I had more time to study and read him. He has so much to offer the Church, even the Church of today. Then there is what I said before: unity in the Church and fidelity to the Bishop of Rome, always seeking to promote communion. Living unity in the Church, as Augustine recommends, means living united in Christ."

"I am aware of the situation in the Church and society, with all its beautiful and painful aspects. This is my, this is our Church and society. I do not have another time or different circumstances. I want to do what is in my power here – to live, work and pray with you and for you, dear brothers and sisters. And if I succeed, at least a little, in confessing the faith of Thomas as my own, I shall know that I have not run the race in vain. Everything else is in God's hands."

"The only expectation I have is that I can serve men and God. I am not worried about what activity I will have. I will certainly be able to confess, listen and advise. For 48 years I have been a missionary in Patagonia. Now I feel that this appeal has been renewed in me: "Leave your land," because Patagonia is my land. It amazed me to hear again that call with such force and I was surprised to think that God has a new project for an 81-year-old."

"The bishop proposes the teachings, and says what is inconsistent with those teachings. But in terms of follow-through, he can't mandate conformity. He can do no more than teach and propose, and call the people to enflesh these in their political decisions, regarding the social and political life of our country. It's up to the people to apply the guidelines and principles to the particular situation."

"A person's faith can take on a special significance when living far from home. It provides a wonderful opportunity for migrants to come together with others to worship, it creates a strong bond and a supportive network to soften, to some extent, the isolation of emigration. While their circumstances and locations may change, God's love is a constant for them to hold on to."

"When God chooses you, you wonder, "Why me?" but you place yourself in God's hands and rejoice. Naturally, you also feel fear, asking, "Why did God choose me? How will I fulfill this mission?" But you trust because if God chose you, He believes you will accept and succeed. Today, my heart is filled with joy and wonder at God. It's a day to thank Him, to praise Him, and to once again place myself in His hands so that He can work through me."

"Please join me in thanking Our Lord for the election of Pope Leo XIV, Successor of St. Peter, as Shepherd of the Church throughout the world.The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse has a particularly strong bond with the Roman Pontiff, especially through its affiliation with the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major. I urge all pilgrims and friends of the Shrine to pray fervently for Pope Leo XIV that Our Lord, through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Peter the Apostle and Pope St. Leo the Great, may grant him abundant wisdom, strength and courage to do all that Our Lord asks of him in these tumultuous times. May God bless Pope Leo and grant him many years."

"War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal. No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures. May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!"

"I don't think I'm revealing any secrets when I write that a long and warm round of applause followed that ‘I accept,’ which made him the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. [...] I met Cardinal Prevost years ago, in connection with a thorny issue involving the Church in Peru. Even then, I saw in him a sense of balance, calmness, love for people and attention to detail. [...] Pope Leo XIV, he continues, is well aware of the world's problems, as he demonstrated from his very first words from the Loggia, evoking a ‘disarmed and disarming’ peace. [...] I am certain that he will find strength in the grace of the Lord, in his experience as a religious and in the example of the great Father Augustine, whom he mentioned in his first speech. We are close to him with our affection, our obedience and our prayers."

"It will be a pontificate in continuity with the magisterium of Pope Francis. I am very happy about that. This is what the majority of the cardinals wanted ... but with a style of their own. [...] Pope Leo XIV, in his first message, spoke of a “synodal Church.” Having participated in the work of the Synod, we have a Pope who knows synodality, who understands it, who dares to be synodal. There will not be a revolution, but an evolution."

"I met Leo XIV in Peru, and I was struck by his serenity. He is the right man to lead the Church."

"This morning's meeting went very well. We also discussed the need to make the Church more collegial. He is an excellent Pope and received well over 100 votes."

"The whole community has to nurture vocations and every priest has to be a vocation director that you asked about growing up who inspired me well the biggest influence upon me were the parish priests, then I think families have to recognize how necessary and how essential the priesthood is to the life of the church and encourage their sons to consider a religious vocation if that be God's will."

"Alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran. Against this tragic backdrop, which includes Israel and Palestine, people’s daily suffering, especially in Gaza and the other territories, where the need for adequate humanitarian aid is becoming increasingly urgent, risks being forgotten."

"Let us think of how wonderful it is when we give a gift — even a small one, proportionate to our means — and see that it is appreciated by the recipient; how happy we are when the gift, despite its simplicity, unites us even more to those we love. Indeed, what happens between us and God through the Eucharist is precisely that the Lord welcomes, sanctifies and blesses the bread and wine that we place on the altar, together with the offering of our lives, and he transforms them into the Body and Blood of Christ, the sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world. God unites himself to us by joyfully accepting what we bring, and he invites us to unite ourselves to him by likewise joyfully receiving and sharing his gift of love."

"With great joy I extend my cordial greetings to all of you, Representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, as well as of other religions, who participated in the inaugural celebration of my ministry as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter. [...] One of the strong emphases of Pope Francis’ pontificate was that of universal fraternity. In this regard the Holy Spirit really “urged” him to advance with great strides the initiatives already undertaken by previous Pontiffs, especially since Saint John XXIII. The Pope of Fratelli Tutti promoted both the ecumenical path and interreligious dialogue. He did so above all by cultivating interpersonal relations, in such a way that, without taking anything away from ecclesial bonds, the human trait of the encounter was always valued. May God help us to treasure his witness! [...]"

"In order to feed the thousands of people who came to listen to him and to ask for healing, Jesus invited the Apostles to bring him what little they had; he then blessed the loaves and fishes, and told them to distribute them to everyone. The result was astonishing: not only did everyone receive enough food, but there was an abundance left over … Beyond being a marvel, the miracle is a "sign" that reminds us that God’s gifts, even the smallest, grow whenever they are shared. Reading this on the day of Corpus Christi, however, leads us to reflect on an even deeper reality. For we know that at the root of every human sharing lies a greater sharing that precedes it, namely God’s sharing with us."

"Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict. Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable chasm. There are no "distant" conflicts when human dignity is at stake."

"Two events related to clergy sexual abuse have touched the figure of Prevost. The first dates back to the early 2000s, when, as Augustinian provincial in Chicago, he was involved in a case of hospitality to a priest already convicted of paedophilia. The second, more recent, concerns his episcopate in Peru: he allegedly handled an investigation into two priests accused of molestation with little transparency."

"It’s shocking, mind-numbing, mind-blowing. How do you describe that? I don’t know. I still haven’t figured out how to tell anybody what I feel, other than out of my head, crazy with happiness, pride, joy, love for my brother.When he made his appearance, then it became real. It’s one thing to hear the name, but when Rob came out onto the balcony and we saw him, it just brought tears to my eyes. You know that’s my little brother. He’s now pope. I don’t know how to describe it spiritually. He was special. When we were kids and went to play games, he wanted to play priest. How many little kids want to play priest, you know? As soon as he got out of eighth grade, he went directly into the seminary. It was like he knew what he wanted to do, and more power to him, and he’s been quite successful at it, right?"

"One of the things that comes to mind when I think of St Augustine, his vision and his understanding of what it means to belong to the Church, is what he says about not being able to say you are a follower of Christ without being part of the Church. Christ is part of the Church. He is the head. So anyone who thinks they can follow Christ ‘in their own way’ without being part of the body is, unfortunately, a distortion of what is an authentic experience. St Augustine has an omnipresent wisdom that helps us to live in communion. Unity and communion are essential charisms of the life of the Order and a fundamental part of understanding what the Church is and what it means to be in the Church."

"Ideologies have become more powerful than humanity's real experience, faith, and the different values we live by. Some will misunderstand unity as uniformity: ‘You must be like us.’ No, it cannot be so. Nor can diversity be understood as a way of living without criteria or order. The latter lose sight of the fact that since the very creation of the world, the gift of nature, the gift of human life, the gift of so many different things that we experience and celebrate, cannot be sustained by inventing my own rules and doing things my way. These are ideological positions. When an ideology becomes, so to speak, the master of my life, then I can no longer dialogue with another person because I have already decided how things will be. Therefore, I am closed to encounter and transformation cannot take place. And this can happen anywhere in the world, on any subject. This obviously makes it very difficult to be Church, to be community, to be brothers and sisters."