“The missionaries in the first evangelization covered immense geographic distances to spread the good news. We, the missionaries of the new evangelization, must surmount ideological distances just as immense, oftentimes before we ever journey beyond our own neighborhood or family.”
— Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., who was recently selected by the pope to play a key role in the October 2012 world Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization, speaking Oct. 28 to high school religion teachers

“This will eliminate a point of unjust discrimination against Catholics and will be welcomed not only by Catholics but far more widely.”
— Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, on the lifting of bans that prevent a British monarch from marrying a Catholic and that give precedence to boys over elder sisters in the line to the throne

“It is particularly ironic that HHS is substantially burdening Catholic institutional ministries because they respectfully avoid inculcating religious beliefs, and compassionately serve persons of all faith traditions and those having no faith tradition at all. It is the latter population that will be the co-victim, along with Catholic ministries, if this rule is left unchanged.”
— William Cox, president and CEO of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care, testifying Nov. 2 before the health subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, that the Department of Health and Human Services’ interim final rule requiring no-cost coverage of contraception and sterilization in most health plans violates conscience rights and threatens access to care

“The border violence is not simply about security around the line of demarcation between two sovereign nations; battles are being fought on the borders of the soul that mark the difference between life and death, grace and sin.”
— Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, speaking to a San Antonio audience about immigration, border issues and violence perpetrated by drug cartels