NewsCatholic ChurchPope Francisreligion

Pope Francis' Best Quotes Of 2013

Pope Francis' Best Quotes Of 2013
The Huffington Post UK

It has been a year like no other for Catholicism, with Pope Francis calling for big changes in the Roman Catholic Church – including at the very top – saying the church needs to rethink rules and customs that are no longer widely understood or effective for evangelising.

Since his election in March, Pope Francis, the first pontiff to hail from Latin America, has made headlines by decrying the iniquities of modern capitalism, embracing the poor and people with disabilities and reaching out to gays and lesbians.

Open Image Modal

The Year Of The Pope

In a series of verbal challenges throughout the year and around the world, the Pope has emphasised how the church must change if it wants to survive.

We picked out a few of the the 77-year-old pontiff's best quotes:

Pope Francis' Best Quotes Of 2013
"Who Am I To Judge?"(01 of13)
Open Image Modal
Pope Francis has had a busy week at World Youth Day in Rio as he visited his slums and prisons, blessed the Olympic flag and brought three million people to Copacabana Beach for a final Mass on Sunday morning.Now he has made another headline, this time when the pontiff said, "Who am I to judge a gay person?"Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:AP)
There Is No Catholic God(02 of13)
Open Image Modal
"And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."Read more from La Repubblica (credit:Getty Images)
Small-Minded Rules(03 of13)
Open Image Modal
“The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. "Read more from America Magazine (credit:Getty Images)
Abortion, Gay Marriage, And Contraception(04 of13)
Open Image Modal
“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."Read more from America Magazine (credit:AP)
Humble Cars(05 of13)
Open Image Modal
The down-to-earth Pope called for greater austerity from religious figures last week, saying, “It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world." The Ford Focus is a compact car with a starting sticker price of just about $16,000.Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:Getty Images)
The Court Is The Leprosy Of The Papacy(06 of13)
Open Image Modal
"You know what I think about this? Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy."Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:Getty Images)
(07 of13)
Open Image Modal
Consider The Person(08 of13)
Open Image Modal
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. "Read more from America Magazine (credit:Getty Images)
(09 of13)
Open Image Modal
Creativity(10 of13)
Open Image Modal
“Then, Holy Father, creativity is important for the life of a person?” I ask. He laughs and replies: “For a Jesuit it is extremely important! A Jesuit must be creative.”Read more from America Magazine (credit:Getty Images)
A Poor Church(11 of13)
Open Image Modal
On his election to the papacy, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose to name himself after Francis of Assisi because the 12th-century saint "is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation," Pope Francis said Saturday."How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor," he told about 5,000 journalists gathered for an audience with the pope.Read more from the National Catholic Reporter (credit:Getty Images)
Proselytism Is Solemn Nonsense(12 of13)
Open Image Modal
"Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."Read more from La Repubblica (credit:Getty Images)
Corruption(13 of13)
Open Image Modal
Pope Francis delivered a fiery sermon against corruption in November, quoting a passage from the Bible in which Jesus said some sinners deserved to be tied to a rock and thrown into the sea.Quoting from the Gospel of St Luke in the New Testament, he said “Jesus says: It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea.” (credit:AP)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip