Pope Francis Quotes

“In reflecting on the role of authority, he has said, “Authority comes from the Latin augere, meaning ‘to grow’. To have authority is not to be an oppressor. Oppression is a distortion of authority. When exercised correctly, authority implies creating a space where a person can grow. Anyone with authority is capable of creating a space to grow.”[ 31]”
― Charles River Editors, Pope Francis: The Historic Life of the first Pope from the Americas

“Catholicism’s greatest concern regarding the poor in the sixties was the issue of fertile ground that could give rise to any kind of ideology.  This could detract from what the Church asked of the Second Vatican Council and has maintained ever since; to espouse the right path in responding to an absolutely inescapable demand, one that is central, such as concern from the poor, and which, in my view, appears fully formed in the bishop’s conference in Aparecida….[Yes,] there were missteps.  But there were also thousands of pastors, be they priests, religious men or women, young, adult or old laypeople, who committed themselves to the Church and are the honor of our work, the source of our joy…It’s a matter of concerning oneself not with partisan politics, but with the great politics born of the commandments and the Gospel.”
― Charles River Editors, Pope Francis: The Historic Life of the first Pope from the Americas

“In accessing the possible consequences of the Church electing its first Jesuit pontiff, Caleb K. Bell, writing in The Christian Century, had this to say: “With their emphasis on mission work and intellectual pursuits, Jesuits often work on the margins of the Church, sometimes overstepping boundaries set by Rome.  It’s a point of pride among some Jesuits that they frequently challenge authority and seem to have a predisposition for coloring outside the lines. [David Collins, a history professor of Georgetown University has said] ‘since their founding, Jesuits have consistently offended people…But if there’s a barricade in the street, there’s going to be a Jesuit on both sides of that barricade’.”[33]”
― Charles River Editors, Pope Francis: The Historic Life of the first Pope from the Americas