Roman Catholic Bishops

"The Church is Christ's body and his bride. He gave it life and love, its teachings and mission. It is our task to renew and reform the Church. We do not change her in her essentials. Some would have us refound the Church to make it not new but anew: To alter it substantially so that it would become substantially other than the Church Christ founded. But the Church is our mother. We do not make the Church. She makes us."

"One part of India is affected by extreme drought, whereas another part experiences a severe flood. This is happening because of our greed and the kinds of choices we have made."

"I grew up in Genoa, I carry with me above all, I have to tell the truth, the affections, the people I met in Genoa, who loved me like carrying my heart."

"Efforts to help people after natural disasters are part of the Church's social commitment to help people in need, both in the short and long term."

"We're all pushing against tides. There isn't enough time in the day. We've got cultural things that make it hard sometimes for the presence of faith to take hold and want to support each other in that work and not just be little islands onto ourselves"

"Mob violence threatens to turn our country to anarchy."

"War without fire is worth nothing—like sausages without mustard."

"I’m at home in a parish. I always have been. I've heard it said before, that parishes are where you really touch the people, where you can really make a difference in their lives. I'll never, ever tire of that, although it has to take on a different form as a bishop."

"It is not a question of lowering the church's moral requirements. When Jesus said that the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of us, he was not advocating prostitution. There are things that offend us, that shock us, that hurt us because they are ambiguous and wrong, but before judging and condemning, we must remember the "synthesis" offered by Thérèse."

"There is always the gap between the Christian ideal and actual practice. Here lies the essence of inculturation. Cultures help to interpret the Gospel while the Gospel helps to purify cultures. This is a slow process. The Church must also give more attention to inculturation in the preparation for the priesthood and religious life. At present, those ordained come through a system which tends to isolate them from their culture and from their regular Christian communities."

"Crux fidelis, inter omnes Arbor una nobilis: Nulla silva talem profert, Fronde, flore, germine. Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, Dulce pondus sustinet."

"Vexilla regis prodeunt: Fulget crucis mysterium Quo carne carnis conditor, Suspensus est patibulo."

"As Catholics, we believe there is an objective, moral Truth – given to us by Jesus Christ. This Truth is timeless, and it cannot be altered by the shifting tides of popular culture."

"Being in the borderland is a wonderful thing. There's so much opportunity for ministries here."

"The Church is much appreciated by Mozambique because of its work of pacification in the country carried out in collaboration with the Community of Sant'Egidio. The Church continues to work to consolidate the culture of peace."

"May the Lord God help us to work together for the common good of all the people of God that we all serve. For God and my country."

"I think it's fair to say that Canadian society doesn't know its communities well. We don't know ourselves. This is not only true of Catholics but of everyone. Distance doesn't help, but that's not enough. The purpose of our fund, and of the operation we are carrying out, is for us to get to know each other better. And to allow them to make themselves known, to be recognized and respected, which hasn't been the case and which is still very difficult."

"I find that my life is a circle -- I keep coming back to a point where I was before, but in a different way. That's the way God has worked with me, I guess."

"I think it's also important for us as bishops to encourage pilgrimages here to the Holy Land, to help our people grow in their own faith of course through visits to the holy sites, but also find ways in which they themselves are able to meet face to face with their suffering brother and sister Christians, so that might also motivate their own prayer and possibly their own political advocacy on their behalf."

"We can remind ourselves that our separations are in conflict with the will of Christ, that ecumenism is an exchange of gifts, that we need one another, that reconciliation is not just peaceful coexistence, but trust, mutual enrichment and collaboration. Then perhaps we will know how to help our Churches to be less caught up than they are at present in drawing back into their own identities."

"Without denying the scandal of the abuses committed by some, the pastoral shortcomings of others, and the limits of human nature, I am happy to see how much priests and deacons, religious men and women, lay Christians, women and men, are committed to the service of the Church. I thank them for supporting each other in the mission."

"The Church as an institution personalizes a whole people on the move; it is a force for action. There is also a danger: the Church should not be limited to consecrated or clerical members but to all the baptized. Through challenges and controversies, joys and projects, the Church tries to make a central place for Christ, the Gospel and Gospel values. It is made up of human beings and, therefore, is not perfect."

"Working together is of utmost importance as one country alone cannot address all the challenges."

"The Holy See has always just sent me where they needed me, it's been a very beautiful experience. It hasn't always been easy, being so far from home and family, but I will miss it. At the same time, direct pastoral ministry has always been my first love. Human beings are very similar, but we're not all the same. Throughout my ministry, I've been able to see the beauty of all these different cultures, and the beauty of the Church in all these different places. It's been a very enriching experience."

"For me, the thing that is really important is being with people at the right moment, for the right moment. Being with them in the right moment."

"The episcopal community of the Americas must express itself to respond to the great challenges put to the Church by the global economy and culture which widen the gap between rich and poor, making even worse the marginalization of the so-called "unviables". The Church also has a significant role in society as a whole - an aspect which has not been sufficiently developed - in order to fill the gaps left by the two major components of the system, capital and government."

"The presence of a priest, even though it is small, at the parish, among the people, has very much significance. His presence in his place is considerable, there is a moral certainty for the parishioners that their spiritual father is here. He is the base of the community; one can turn to him in all needs. He tries, he thinks about the people, prays for them, and this is very deeply rooted in the people."

"Like the early Christians, we shall be recognized as the disciples of Jesus by the love we have for one another."

"Prepare the population to receive a message of a universal pastor, a pastor of the church, he's not a politician but he's a man of God."

"God always provides. 125 years ago, there were people who came here to this parish new to the United States. Today is the same, people who are here, new to the United States. All of us created in God’s image and likeness, all of asked to follow Jesus' example of taking what we have, as little as it may seem, and using it in service to others."

"We are Indians. In Mangaluru, we have a 450-year history of living peacefully, respectfully, and not doing any harm to others as followers of Jesus Christ. We believe in the goodness in humans and we always give priority for humanity in our private and social life. At the same time, we believe in our Constitution. We live for our country."

"We should be more aware that we raise children by word, action and example. Let us accept this role and responsibility to help children and young people on the path to the fullness of life."

"We have come to share life with you and to join ourselves to your situation after the misfortune you experienced. We have visited different places affected and are happy you are well. The disasters have not changed you. We thank God, who has given you courage and allowed you to stand firm in these trying moment."

"The invited one felt something stronger than himself, stronger than his childhood and youthful dreams, plans and ideals. It's usually a barely noticeable whisper. You need to listen to it well, strain your attention, if you want to hear it. God's voice is never a command. It is a call for free radical choice. By calling, God guarantees his presence as a friendly force and support in temptations, the courage that the called one can give testimony of Him."

"The starting point for new evangelization must be the return to the sources, re-discovering the heredity of the peoples and the Nation, with a special effort in reinforcing the ethical and moral values in society, compromised by the prior totalitarianism and the new violence of war."

"Give priority to education, as it was the basis for the future development of their children and thus of the country. If you encourage your children to take part in the initiatives of the local Catholic Church, the future of the Church and Ugandan society is assured"

"God created human beings in his own image. Live together as a unit regardless of race, tribe and political affiliation. God always shows mercy and forgiveness to his people."

"The most joy I have is when I see other people experience God in their lives and respond to that experience — they recognize it, and they respond to it, and it changes them. Because that's really what I most want to give people, is a deep connection with God himself. Wherever it is, when people have that encounter with Christ that sets them on fire, that changes their life and that initiates a radical conversion, that is the greatest joy that I experience."

"We need to become more aware of the intrinsic treasure in the magisterium of the Church, which throughout the centuries has been enriched and has given life to our community. And today the Pope, together with the bishops, is trying to make it even more vibrant for society today. To be ready to listen, that to me is very important. Then we need to respond in such a way that our language can be understood by the people."

"If we are people of reconciliation, if we are reconciled to each other in our own country, reconciled to the different communities that make this a nation, transfer that into our concern and our love for our neighbour. We're called to be good neighbours, and that’s the first stage of evangelisation – to be a good neighbour."

"The formation of leaders must be a preferencial preoccupation for pastors and bishops. Ecclesiality of its members is guaranteed by the experience of the triple priestly, prophetic and real dimension, in a community which must be a sign of the presence of God in the world."

"It should be made clear that traditional values such as responsibility in a partnership and reliability are gender-neutral."

"We defend the fundamental right to life, yes, but we also defend what people need to live in dignity. Productive work and fair wages. Food and shelter. Education and health care and protection from harm. And we defend the Earth, because where else will the people live whose right to life we fight for?"

"The good that you do is look upon as an attempt at conversion that is a little discouraging."

"I have to abide and follow because I want to be happy but most of all I want God to be happy."

"It is absolutely clear that there are matters that we can only discuss at the level of the Universal Church. We will contribute from Germany with our reflections. However, I would like to reject the accusation repeatedly used of us being schismatics or of wanting to detach ourselves as the German national Church from Rome. Our bond with Rome and the Holy Father is very tight."

"The stable relationship between a man and a woman who will be physically and spiritually fertile through adoption needs to be defended. The family needs all the legal support and appreciation society can give, all of the Church’s contribution in the spiritual dimension, so that it can be strengthened, so that it can continue to be the basic cell."

"The peace of God comes to the earth where people follow Jesus and follow him on his way, where they work for mutual understanding and renounce all hatred and revenge, where they sometimes renounce the insistence of the right, when that right threatens others and imposes shackles. The peace of God comes into the world as a Child, invisible and helpless, but that Child is also a sign of a new beginning."

"Can I say that this robe is going to lead to salvation? No, but this piece of clothing here can help me to perceive the imperceptible to see the invisible."

"God has given to all of us many gifts. What He gives them we have to put in practice."