Pope Paul VI > Quotes

“If you want peace, work for justice.”
― Pope Paul Vi

“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. It is beauty, like truth, which brings joy to the heart of man and is that precious fruit which resists the year and tear of time, which unites generations and makes them share things in admiration.”
― Pope Paul VI, Pope Paul VI: Christian Values and Virtues

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
― Pope Paul VI

“[On married love]

This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment.

It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.”
― Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae: Of Human Life

“To love can mean 'to love oneself,' and often love is no more than a juxtaposition of two solitudes.”
― Pope Paul VI

“This state of affairs, which bodes ill for the future, causes Us great distress and anguish. But We cherish this hope: that distrust and selfishness among nations will eventually be overcome by a stronger desire for mutual collaboration and a heightened sense of solidarity. We hope that the developing nations will take advantage of their geographical proximity to one another to organize on a broader territorial base and to pool their efforts for the development of a given region. We hope that they will draw up joint programs, coordinate investment funds wisely, divide production quotas fairly, and exercise management over the marketing of these products. We also hope that multilateral and broad international associations will undertake the necessary work of organization to find ways of helping needy nations, so that these nations may escape from the fetters now binding them; so that they themselves may discover the road to cultural and social progress, while remaining faithful to the native genius of their land.”
― Pope Paul VI, On the Development of Peoples: Populorum Progressio

“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action.”
― Pope Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

“Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”
― Pope Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

“The world calls for and expects from us simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility... Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man. It risks being vain and sterile.”
― Pope Paul VI

“In accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the Latin rite, the Latin language is to be retained by clerics in the divine office.”
― Pope Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

“Married love, therefore, requires of husband and wife the full awareness of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood, which today, rightly enough, is much insisted upon, but which at the same time should be rightly understood. Thus, we do well to consider responsible parenthood in the light of its varied legitimate and interrelated aspects.”
― Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae: Of Human Life

“Os homens rectos poderão convencer-se ainda mais da fundamentação da doutrina da Igreja neste campo, se quiserem reflectir nas consequências dos métodos da regulação artificial da natalidade. Considerem, antes de mais, o caminho amplo e fácil que tais métodos abririam à infidelidade conjugal e à degradação da moralidade. Não é preciso ter muita experiência para conhecer a fraqueza humana e para compreender que os homens - os jovens especialmente, tão vulneráveis neste ponto - precisam de estímulo para serem fiéis à lei moral e não se lhes deve proporcionar qualquer meio fácil para eles eludirem a sua observância. É ainda de recear que o homem, habituando-se ao uso das práticas anticoncepcionais, acabe por perder o respeito pela mulher e, sem se preocupar mais com o equilíbrio físico e psicológico dela, chegue a considerá-la como simples instrumento de prazer egoísta e não mais como a sua companheira, respeitada e amada.

Pense-se ainda seriamente na arma perigosa que se viria a pôr nas mãos de autoridades públicas, pouco preocupadas com exigências morais. Quem poderia reprovar a um governo o facto de ele aplicar à solução dos problemas da colectividade aquilo que viesse a ser reconhecido como lícito aos cônjuges para a solução de um problema familiar?

(...)

A doutrina da Igreja sobre a regulação dos nascimentos, que promulga a lei divina, parecerá, aos olhos de muitos, de difícil, ou mesmo de impossível actuação. Certamente que, como todas as realidades grandiosas e benéficas, ela exige um empenho sério e muitos esforços, individuais, familiares e sociais. Mais ainda: ela não seria de fato viável sem o auxílio de Deus, que apóia e corrobora a boa vontade dos homens. Mas, para quem refletir bem, não poderá deixar de aparecer como evidente que tais esforços são nobilitantes para o homem e benéficos para a comunidade humana.”
― Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae: Of Human Life

“If every man, as much as he can and as best he can, will work for justice and peace in the world, then each Christian will have at heart the request that Mary pray with us and for us, so that the peace the Lord alone can give may be granted us.”
― Pope Paul VI, Mary, God’s Mother and Ours

“The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of His Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord's supper.”
― Pope Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

“No desperdicies el recuerdo del camino recorrido. Ello no retrasa vuestra carrera, sino que la dirige; el que olvida el punto de partida, pierde fácilmente la meta.”
― Pope Paul VI

“C’è un grande turbamento in questo momento nel mondo e nella Chiesa, e ciò che è in questione è la fede. Capita ora che mi ripeta la frase oscura di Gesù nel Vangelo di san Luca: «Quando il Figlio dell’Uomo ritornerà, troverà ancora la fede sulla terra?».”
― Pope Paul VI

“Esiste in molti uno stato d'animo di radicale insofferenza verso lo "ieri" della Chiesa: uomini, istituzioni, costumi, dottrine, tutto è senz'altro accantonato, se porta l'impronta del passato. E' così che uno spirito critico implacabile condanna in questi irrefrenabili innovatori tutto il "sistema" ecclesiastico di ieri: essi non vedono più che colpe e difetti, inabilità e inefficienza nelle espressioni della vita cattolica degli anni trascorsi; con conseguenze che si presterebbero a molte e gravi considerazioni e che oscurano quel senso storico della vita della Chiesa, ch'è pur preziosa caratteristica della nostra cultura. Esso è sostituito da una facile simpatia a tutto ciò che è fuori della Chiesa; l'avversario diventa simpatico ed esemplare, l'amico antipatico e intollerabile. Se questo processo non è moderato, esso dà luogo perfino alla persuasione che sia lecito prospettare l'ipotesi d'una Chiesa del tutto diversa da quella odierna e nostra; una Chiesa inventata, si dice, per i tempi nuovi...Questa deviazione è purtroppo possibile.”
― Pope Paul VI

“Untainted by overbearing nationalistic pride of any trace of racial discrimination, experts should learn how to work in collaboration with everyone else. They must realize technical knowledge does not give them superiority in every sphere of life. Their own culture does contain certain universal human elements, but it cannot be regarded as the only culture, nor can it regard other cultures with a haughty disdain.”
― Pope Paul VI, On the Development of Peoples: Populorum Progressio

“Racism is not the exclusive attribute of young nations where sometimes it hides beneath the rivalries of clans and political parties, with heavy losses for justice and at the risk of civil wars. It is still an obstacle to collaboration and a cause of division and hatred within countries whenever individuals and families see the inviolable rights of the human person held in scorn as they themselves are unjustly subjected to a regime of discrimination because of their race or their color.”
― Pope Paul VI, On the Development of Peoples: Populorum Progressio

“Ciò che mi colpisce, quando considero il mondo cattolico, è che all’interno del cattolicesimo sembra talvolta predominare un pensiero di tipo non cattolico, e può avvenire che questo pensiero non cattolico all’interno del cattolicesimo diventi domani il più forte. Ma esso non rappresenterà mai il pensiero della Chiesa. Bisogna che sussista un piccolo gregge, per quanto piccolo esso sia.”
― Pope Paul VI

“Anyone who has a special devotion to the sacred Eucharist and who tries to repay Christ's infinite love for us with an eager and unselfish love of his own will experience and fully understand how worthwhile it is to carry on a conversation with Christ, for there is nothing more consoling here on earth, nothing more efficacious for progress along the path of holiness.”
― Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei: Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist

“All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.”
― Pope Paul VI

“La Chiesa maestra non inventa la sua dottrina; ella è teste, è custode, è interprete, è tramite, e per quanto riguarda le verità proprie del messaggio cristiano essa si può dire conservatrice, intransigente; e a chi la sollecita di rendere più facile, più relativa ai gusti della mutevole mentalità dei tempi la sua fede, risponde con gli Apostoli: "Non possumus, non possiamo (Act 4,20)”
― Pope Paul VI

“My hope, O Lord, is in you. You are my Way, my Truth, my Life; my one and supreme good. Help me to never lose sight of my ultimate destination or be detoured by the maze of slogans clamoring for my attention. Keep my heart and my gaze fixed on you, who give meaning to everything in and around me.”
― Pope Paul VI

“Look down with maternal clemency, Most Blessed Virgin, upon all your children. Consider the anxiety of bishops who fear their flocks will be tormented by a terrible storm of evils. Heed the anguish of so many people, fathers and mothers of families who are uncertain about their future and beset by hardship and cares. (Christi Matri Rosarii)”
― Pope Paul VI

“Beloved sons and daughters! Let us maintain the desire for a life modeled after the Christian lifestyle. The Christian lifestyle is not always easy. It is, we know, a demanding style of living, sometimes inconvenient, and not always fashionable. But remember: it must not be judged only by what it takes away, but evaluated by what it gives. And if it is engraved on us by the law of sacrifice, that is, by the Cross, remember, or rather, experience for yourselves the paradox characteristic of the Christian way of life. It consists in an extraordinary and simultaneous fusion of braking and thrusting, of moderation and vitality, of sorrow and joy. The present life finds in this lifestyle its highest and fullest expression, as Saint Paul said: I am overjoyed in all our affliction. (Pope St Paul VI)”
― Pope Paul VI

“The modern woman will note with pleasant surprise that Mary of Nazareth, while being completely devoted to the will of God, was far from being a timidly submissive woman or one whose piety was repellent to others. On the contrary, she was a woman who did not hesitate to proclaim that God vindicates the humble and the oppressed and removes the powerful people of this world from their privileged positions. (Marialis Cultus)”
― Pope Paul VI

“The causes of the decrease in vocations to the priesthood are the be found in the fact that individuals and families have lost their sense of God and of all that is holy, their esteem for the Church as the institution of salvation through faith and the sacraments. The problem must be examined at its real source.”
― Pope Paul VI, Sacerdotalis Caelibatus

“For if the sacred liturgy holds first place in the life of the Church, then the Eucharistic Mystery stands at the heart and center of the liturgy, since it is the font of life that cleanses us and strengthens us to live not for ourselves but for God, and to be united to each other by the closest ties of love.”
― Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei: Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist

“Modernism is an error which is still making its appearance under various new guises, wholly inconsistent with any genuine religious expression. It is surely an attempt on the part of secular philosophies and secular trends to vitiate the true teaching and discipline of the Church of Christ.”
― Pope Paul VI, Paths of the Church