Roman Catholic Archbishops

"Prayer can change the course of events, enlighten souls and sustain us in our sorrow. Every Christian of this diocese should know that with faith nothing is lost."

"Christian meditation is very important for our Christian life. We know we can achieve this when we open ourselves to God's presence and action."

"The Good News is for all nations including the Shan. The time is ripe to make a concerted effort for evangelization of this important tribe."

"Walk with Mary on the paths of life with joy in one’s heart, at a time when it seems, in fact, that joy is the great absence in our world."

"We need the voice of the prophets of old who would speak out and say, every violation of someone's human dignity is a sin and an offence to God."

"For us as priests, I think it makes it easier because, no matter where we go, we find something of the Church. People recognize the role of the priest. You enter into that immediately. I think it's different from the civil diplomats."

"There is a reason for everything: God commands creation and creatures. There is no such thing a good and bad luck, which would mean that God has no control over man, nature and events."

"I submit that the reality of communion is squarely founded on the truth of community which in turn is fundamentally rooted in the fact of unity. Thus, in the same way that there is no community in the absence of unity, there is neither communion if there is no community."

"We are a big organsaiton, a big employer and we need to be efficient and accountable. But we should never forget that our core business is to preach the Gospel, whatever goes on must be at the service of that."

"For peace an effort of sincerity is needed, especially by Islamic groups. One cannot speak of peace when weapons are used. The galaxy of Muslim groups is often indistinct: legal groups and recognized as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and illegal groups and terrorists tend to mix up. Muslim groups have to isolate the terrorists. The law must serve to draw an agreement that is respectful of the Constitution, a peace that guarantees the welfare of all, with an inclusive approach, considering Muslims, Christians and lumads (tribals). This is the path towards good, just and lasting peace in Mindanao"

"I seriously fear for my life and the lives of the faithful. However, today I went out to encourage the faithful. This is my mission. I have prepared a pastoral letter calling on Catholics to stay in Basilan, which is our home, and asking them to remain calm, not to react to violence, and to pray for peace. Today, a procession of people carrying candles as a sign of peace lit the city. Our hope must not die."

"Children must come to understand the immense gift and value of each human life. No one has the power to take a life, except God Himself. We cannot teach them to kill others. This would lead to a catastrophe."

"It becomes a great concern to a country if a high number of its young people, or of its professionals like graduates or medical personnel, want to go to another country. If many Young Africans migrate to Europe or America, who will guarantee them proper employment, choice of a marriage partner, and future life? Are these young people not among those most needed to develop their country? Should Europe and America not be helping the leaders of African countries to motivate their citizens to stay at home and develop their nation?"

"If you don't understand a person's religion, you haven't even begun. And if you are not able to listen, you are only able to talk, then you are still on your own. You are lecturing everybody who comes near you, but you are not dialoguing with anyone. There are some desires of the human soul which that other person is looking for. There are, maybe, mistakes in the way that religion is looking for those things. But the human heart, created by God, is looking for Him."

"We are Bengalese and we feel very much a part of the Bengal people, but as Christians we are called to share our values – the Gospel values – with all people. We try to remain entirely integrated in society. That is why we have extended our work of education for all people."

"It is not enough simply to speak of the Christian ideal of marriage, there is a need to convince others of the importance of living and loving. It is not just about informing others, but of reaching concrete steps towards progress in all the places where we live and work."

"As for the inter-religious relationships, especially between Muslims and Christians, I am not worried. In fact, I am very confident."

"For years the Church has been the country's only moral point of reference. Faced with a people who look to her with hope, the Church has a grave responsibility to not disappoint them and to ensure that her activity and life are always exemplary giving testimony of coherence between what is preached and what is practised. If good example is necessary everywhere, this is certainly true in Peru where there is a serious institutional crisis of government, ethic and moral values and a marked presence of religious sects."

"All citizens have the right and at the same time, the duty to cast their free vote to promote the common good. The Church praises and inspires the work of those who, in the service of mankind, devote themselves to the public good and accept the burdens of office. Christians are prepared to exercise this duty in a responsible way. They have objective reasons for exercising their free and thoughtful vote."

"The precautions that we freely take are a way of manifesting the love we have for others, in order to protect their health and ours, and thus we fulfill the will of the Lord."

"When there is hostility towards the family, then not only it is misunderstood, but it is mistreated; so the need to affirm its faith and its content of natural and supernatural reality, becomes a primary and fundamental postulate in the evangelizing mission of the Church."

"The people of South Sudan do not want war. This is an economic conflict for the control of oil. South Sudan is ready to reach an agreement with Sudan on oil. But what has disappointed the southern Sudanese is the attitude of the UN, of the African Union and other Western countries on the issue of Heglig. In my opinion, these organizations have made premature statements without knowing the reality. In particular, we must understand exactly where Heglig is: is it in South Sudan or Sudan? Representatives of these international institutions must go there to clarify this point, to demarcate precisely the boundary between the two countries."

"It's not about doing new things but about being genuinely faithful to what the essence of the Christian faithful is. Some think that the renewal will bring about new things or something like that. Instead, the renewal will help us to cleanse ourselves a bit, so that the face of Jesus Christ will shine in our face, because this is what it means to be a Christian."

"The renewed consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart will not bring forth abundant fruit of life and of witness of Christian love without holy priests.” Spain, the Spain of today, needs many holy priests according to the heart of Christ!"

"Human autonomy has become the greatest value, progress has replaced providence and the role of God, in large measure, has disappeared from consciences. God will never deprive man of his freedom. Acting with a purpose that is contrary to the good of his human nature is not true freedom, as freedom orders him toward the good."

"The apostolicity that Compostela summarizes is due to the evangelizing breath of the Apostle James, protomartyr among the Apostles. So it is that Santiago de Compostela shines still today as head of Christian Spain and even of the whole of the Hispanic world, opening his radius of influence above and beyond Spanish or Hispanic geography, as attested by the constant flow of pilgrims."

"If it is true that the charism is translated into life and that life changes, then the works can also change: when an institute does not know how to adapt to this change, it risks concentrating only on the economic aspect, that is, on the funds to support the works. We have seen that in these cases, in order to save the works, it is possible to have many members lose their vocation and to put the charism itself at risk."

"like in all realities of the Church and of society - a fallen tree makes more noise than a forest that is kept alive."

"Our contribution has been to preach forgiveness and never to close the door to dialogue and encounter with the other, because as long as we meet and talk, we can always seek and, God willing, find solutions."

"I believe that our hopes, but perhaps also those of the Pope, are based above all on one aspect, namely that the other is never an enemy: he is "other", "other than us", different and probably also has different existential positions, but he remains a child of God, a man, a created being, with whom it is always worth seeking dialogue to solve problems."

"The Church should defend human dignity when the media become channels for negative social, ethical, moral or religious values. She should also report the inroads of cultural neo-colonialism based on economic monopolies. With the proper use of the media, the Church will be able to face the challenge of new evangelization, as well as the campaign against the faith in Latin America; she will also be able to contribute to the social transformation of the continent."

"It is true that sometimes small groups of fanatics can give us concern, but the Church will continue in its mission to pray for the new government and contribute to the common good of the nation, supporting democracy, respect for pluralism, the rights of all and a secular concept in the political agenda."

"Love needs to be the mark in all our missionary efforts. Many times we hear criticism about our institutions and our social and charitable works- they have become "institutionalized". Good works without love may attract outwardly, because of their academic excellence, or professional quality, and their ability to achieve. But this is not real evangelization."

"We support the struggle for rights and equal opportunity of Dalit Christians. The Church is always on the side of the poor and the excluded. We ask all Indian states, the federal government, institutions, public officials, and police, for full respect towards religious leaders committed to the promotion of human rights."

"There is still a long way but the model of conjugation between synodality and primacy certainly opens a fruitful way."

"With Eucharistic faith, upheld by ecclesial tradition and based on the words of the Lord, we have access to real, though imperfect, certainties. Finally, in the face of the solitude and desperation that undermine mankind today, the Eucharist offers us... profound companionship and a promise of eternal life that fills us with definitive hope."

"God Almighty who knows everything is with you. The heavenly Father helps all those who face such suffering like the tsunami disaster."

"You know we are all responsible for building peace in the world. Respond to blind violence and inhuman hatred with the extraordinary power of love. Forgive those who offend you. Do not let yourselves be dragged into manifestations of nationalism, racism and intolerance."

"There is a lot of talk about the so-called "European values," but we Europeans no longer know who we are. A thousand years ago, despite many battles, many betrayals, there was Christianity as a common factor to unify us. Europe was based on Christianity. Now, this common base no longer exists. We are united only by the market, by money; it has become very difficult to cement Europe. On what? Who are we? We do not know. How can we oppose Russia's expansionist ambitions if we do not know who we are, if we do not remain united in our historical foundation, which is Christianity?"

"With the strength of our faith, I strongly condemn this persistent insecurity and call on the perpetrators of these acts to give peace a chance."

"In most African cultures, evil is conceived of as the consequence of a transgression of what is prescribed, whether divine precepts - which unconditionally call for obedience and submission - or a social law dictated by the authorities that govern as well as ritualistic interdicts or prescriptions. Any action that diminishes or destroys life and any act or attitude and behavior that breaks the unity, the order or the harmony of things are also considered as evils."

"Europe does not want to listen to Poland, and even less does it want to listen to the Church. I think that Europe will look at us with respect and listen to our voice – I am talking about Poland, the Polish Church – as long as we as a nation remain faithful to the Church, Christ and the Gospel. Seeing our steadfastness, our constancy in lasting to Christian values, we may make them to be surprised, but they will certainly ask us why we are like this."

"I'm afraid that because I'm a cardinal people will think of me as a success. I'm immensely afraid of that, since I'm here to bear witness instead. The Lord has given me a great grace, but if I'm a bishop it is not that I've succeeded more than others. I have more responsibility, that's for sure. Even if, as things are, because of the increasing importance of the mass media, there's no point in being a cardinal if you only come out with banalities."

"Today, we feel the urgency to do something for authentic peace. We as citizens and as religious communities in India and Pakistan can and will promote a culture of peace to defuse hatred, disarm hearts, and educate people to forgiveness."

"We are able to have a voice, thanks be to God. Although we are a very small minority, we are not a hidden minority."

"We must acknowledge that the Christian life cannot be lived only in front of a computer's screen. Christian life calls for living in community. Then I can encounter Jesus thanks to the rich and purposeful help of an Internet site, but afterwards I must find a community that receives me and enables me to undertake a concrete journey of faith."

"The Christian must be a universal brother, open to all without distinctions, preserving his own identity, but establishing bridges of respect, friendship, solidarity with the whole world. This is another way of evangelizing, perhaps more costly and more exacting than that by word. We are called to live evangelical values like love, justice, forgiveness, solidarity with everyone, especially with the poorest."

"I had never thought for a moment that I might one day be a cardinal. As I was taught since my initial formation for the priesthood, in the Church no one should consider a personal career path."

"As a pastor and liturgist, I firmly believe modern channels of communication should not be overlooked but integrated into religion and culture. In the Bible, we see how God communicates with his people by various means: chosen persons, signs and wonders, natural phenomena. Jesus used words and signs to get across to people. The apostles and successive generations used the best means available to evangelize. Why not use the best in the fast changing world of communication for the cause of Jesus?"

"Without the gospel nothing shall be achieved. Ordinarily as we know it, human nature without the grace of God is vengeful and so it is odd for anybody to imagine that the many tribes in Kenya shall not go after each other's throat again given an opportunity for antagonism in future unless the healing and reconciliation are given a priority."