In the world in which we live, it is almost a necessity to be able to regain one's strength of body and spirit, especially for those who live in the city, where the conditions of life, often feverish, leave little room for silence, reflection and relaxed contact with nature.

Dialogue is the fundamental unfolding of a gift of oneself to another.

Holiness never goes out of fashion.

Material possessions, in themselves, are good. We would not survive for long without money, clothing and shelter. We must eat in order to stay alive. Yet if we are greedy, if we refuse to share what we have with the hungry and the poor, then we make our possessions into a false god. How many voices in our materialist society tell us that happiness is to be found by acquiring as many possessions and luxuries as we can! But this is to make possessions into a false god. Instead of bringing life, they bring death.

The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security.

The Jesus who makes everything okay for everyone is a phantom, a dream, not a real figure.

The new Pope knows that his task is to make the light of Christ shine before men and women of world - not his own light, but that of Christ.