"Pope Benedict XVI is working softly, slowly, often silently, unobtrusively, behind the scenes, mostly unseen. But he is working hard. I like the great job of reconciliation that he is doing inside the Roman Catholic Church: reconciliation between traditionalists and liberals, conservative and reform-oriented faithful, liturgical Latinists and Mass polyglots, old-time lovers and progressives, high-flying souls and pedestrian believers, thinkers and doers--Christians and Catholics. It is a hidden work of diplomacy, interactions, influences, concessions, agreements, acknowledgments. A "hard job" well done until now."

“I prefer news without interviews to interviews without news.”

“The United Nations General Assembly: The greatest show on Earth, starring Barack Obama, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Muammar Gaddafi.”

“Believe it or not, after the Second Vatican Council anticlericalism is a Catholic virtue. In elaborating a theology of laity, as many call it, and speaking of a hierarchy of service rather than of domination in the Church, Vatican II implicitly endorsed opposition to clericalism, which is a policy of maintaining or increasing the power of a religious hierarchy. Clearly, this sort of anticlericalism has nothing to do with the other anticlericalism.”

“I call it "cut and paste journalism." It's very convenient, very easy, very useful. And very dishonest.”

“Speaking frankly, I find it difficult to accept lessons on press freedom from The Times, a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch.”

“The Anglican Church seems the Wonder Emporium of Mr Magorium.”