Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
We are an immigrant nation.
Radical individualism can be very sad.
White supremacy is a sin. Neo-Nazism is a sin.
The Church is not fully Church if it lacks dialogue.
Parishes must be the safest places for a child to be.
Racism can be called our nation's own specific 'original sin.'
I think that the Pope has trust in every bishop that is appointed.
Christ receives people; because of that mercy, conversion happens.
Ultimately, it is only the witness who convinces people, not the teacher.
Our people's faith is strong and sustains them even in times of challenge.
We are a democracy, and we get the leaders we deserve because we elect them.
I don't want the abnormal or something special. I want to have a normal life.
Racism is a sin and has no place in the church, including the Archdiocese of Chicago.
I think that education is a pathway out of poverty for many people. It was for our family.
We have to become involved in the political process - if we don't like it, we can change it.
I am never bored in my ministry because I continually see the impact of God in people's lives.
We don't need military weapons in our society. We're not supposed to be at war with one another.
Bishops need to resist the defensiveness that institutions often fall back on in crisis moments.
Hope in the future is deeply rooted in our national psyche. It is part of the soul of our nation.
Clericalism is a form of elitism in which some are viewed as having special rights and privileges.
Every school that I have ever attended, except for kindergarten, I went to a Catholic institution.
I grew up in a family of nine children, and I know there has to be a back and forth and a listening.
It's important for people to give every leader the chance to step forward and look for ways to have dialogue.
For me, the real goal is how do we make vibrant and vital faith communities that are sustainable for the long run.
We don't need more divisive language or programs and policies that are going to tear the fabric of the nation apart.
We want to inspire people to work together, giving them hope that we can do something even if we cannot do everything.
Our schools must be places where all are respected and the values of tolerance and peacemaking are taught and nurtured.
Chicago is highly segregated, a fact that both causes and compounds the problems we face in bringing an end to violence.
There should be reluctance to make a national policy so inflexible that it fails to take into account the country's diversity.
We want to let people know that we can build solidarity with suffering folks so that they are not excluded, they are integrated.
We must band together to call for gun-control legislation. We must act in ways that promote the dignity and value of human life.
Science can and should inform debate about abortion and the law. But science does not resolve questions of moral value and moral choice.
Once a bishop is appointed, in terms of governance, we are semi-autonomous. It's not like we are branch managers of a bank or something.
We Catholics have been in the forefront in defending the dignity of the human person. Clericalism is a direct violation of human dignity.
I would say that every pope has had people within his administration who have had difficulties one way or another with his administration.
The Second Amendment was passed in an era when organized police forces were few and citizen militias were useful in maintaining the peace.
The church can challenge society, but society also challenges the church. That's good. We should be humble enough to be able to accept that.
The state and its leaders have not only a responsibility but also a vested interest in defending the sacredness and value of every human life.
We realize there is no political party or politician who fully takes into consideration the issues the church is about. This is nothing new to us.
Once we begin to make our churches safety zones in a military-style approach, we're going to lose something of the character of our places of worship.
Here are the ingredients of a tragedy: untreated mental illness, a society where life is cheap and crime is glamorized, and a ready supply of firearms.
Those who do not think religious organizations should have an opinion on climate change misunderstand the former and the moral dimension of the latter.
Let's face it: grandparents are very important to family systems. You're babysitters, but you also instill values in children that sometimes skip a generation.
I don't think sometimes people in positions of leadership in the church really engage gay and lesbian people and talk to them and get to know about their lives.
When the state imposes the death penalty, it proclaims that taking one human life counterbalances the taking of another life. This assumption is profoundly mistaken.
We have always wanted to make sure that we start the conversation by saying that all people are of value and their lives should be respected and that we should respect them.
We budget quite a bit of money every year in order to assist people who are migrating here, people who are trying to enter into our society and be a part of the American dream.
We have to be sure we don't pigeonhole one group as though they're not part of the human family, as though there's a different set of rules for them. That would be a big mistake.
The Eucharist is an opportunity of grace and conversion. It's also a time of forgiveness of sins, so my hope would be that grace would be instrumental in bringing people to the truth.
This business of demonizing or pre-defining people by the way they look, the religion that they practice, or where they came from is not only un-American but it's going to hurt America.