"Verbatim.".

"The intense polarization and bitter battles of partisan politics may be seeping into [the] broader ecclesial life of our Catholic people and maybe even our [bishops'] conference."

--Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., at the June meeting of the U.S. bishops' conference (Catholic News Service, June 15, 2006)

"Just as the waters broke in the wombs of our mothers, so we break open the waters of Mother Church and welcome the birthing of her daughters into equality."

--Bishop Dagmar Celeste of the group Roman Catholic Womenpriests, at the illicit ordination of 12 women on a river near Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 1, 2006)

"Let me tell you as bishop, we are are about the salvation of souls, not Spanish or English."

--Bishop Edward S/artery of Tulsa, Oklahoma, responding to English-speaking parishioners angry over the increase in Hispanic ministry (Catholic News Service, July 25, 2006)

"People were asking me what they could do and I was giving them the usual glib answers like prayer, but my prayers were getting quite difficult. I knew I wouldn't achieve much writing to the prime minister."

--Anglican Archbishop of York John Sentamu on his week-long fast for peace in the Middle East while camped out in his cathedral (U.K. Guardian, Aug. 17, 2006)