The Fathers Quotes

“The Creed, which is a sort of Gospel synthesis, helps us understand what it means and how we should read the Gospel itself.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“Pray that, above all things, the gates of light may be opened to you; for these things cannot be perceived or understood by all, but only by the man to whom God and his Christ have imparted wisdom” (Dial. 7, 3).”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“God is love, and the encounter with him is the only response to the restlessness of the human heart;”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“When I read Saint Augustine’s writings, I do not get the impression that he is a man who died more or less 1,600 years ago; I feel he is like a man of today: a friend, a contemporary who speaks to me, who speaks to us with his fresh and timely faith.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“It is not surprising if, despite being far apart, we are present to each other and, without being acquainted, know each other, because we are members of one body, we have one head, we are steeped in one grace, we live on one loaf, we walk on one road, and we dwell in the same house” (Ep. 6, 2).”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“Paulinus lived communion above all through a pronounced practice of spiritual friendship. He was truly a master in this, making his life a crossroads of elect spirits: from Martin of Tours to Jerome, from Ambrose to Augustine, from Delphinus of Bordeaux to Nicetas of Remesiana, from Victricius of Rouen to Rufinus of Aquileia, from Pammachius to Sulpicius Severus and many others, more or less well known.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“The proper request of love is that our entire life should be oriented to the imitation of the Beloved. Let us therefore spare no effort to leave a transparent trace of God’s love in our life.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“according to Origen the highest degree of knowledge of God stems from love. Therefore, this also applies to man: only if there is love, if hearts are opened, can one person truly know the other.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

“He was convinced that the best way to become acquainted with God is through love and that there is no authentic scientia Christi without falling in love with him.”
― Pope Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine