In one sense what may pass between the pope and myself may be trivialities. In another sense the fact of talking trivialities is itself a portent of great significance. But the pleasantries which we exchange may, as one church leader said, be pleasantries about profundities.

The longer I live, the more convinced I am that Christianity is one long shout of joy!

In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely.

There are only two kinds of people in the modern world who know what they are after. One, quite frankly, is the Communist. The other, equally frankly, is the convinced Christian. The rest of the world are amiable nonentities.

Who knows whether in retirement I shall be tempted to the last infirmity of mundane minds, which is to write a book.

When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target.

Once you start, there is no end to who is to go in and who is to be left out.