Papal Decree Quotes

The Pope is a son of a bitch.

Everyone agrees the celibacy rule is just a Church law dating from the 11th century, not a divine command.

I remember the Curia said, that's up to the American bishops, not up to Rome.

Then suddenly the Roman liturgy disappeared as we knew it.

He has committed four very grave offences, which cannot be covered up by any subterfuge...he has abjured God on many occasions; he has wantonly broken the peace which had been established between the Church and the Empire; he has also committed sacrilege by causing to be imprisoned the Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, and the prelates and clerics...coming to the council which our predecessor had summoned; he is also accused of heresy …. We absolve forever all who owe him allegiance in virtue of an oath of fealty.... Whoever shall in future afford him advice, help or goodwill as if he were Emperor or king, shall fall “ipso facto” under the binding force of excommunication.

Climaxing a movement for calendar reform which had been developing for at least a century, in 1582 Pope Gregory ordained that October 4 was to be followed by October 15.

It is not doubted, and you know it, that Ireland and all those islands which have received the faith, belong to the Church of Rome; if you wish to enter that Island, to drive vice out of it, to cause law to be obeyed and St Peter's Pence to be paid by every house, it will please us to assign it to you.

Make this man a saint now, OK?

On the ordination of women, the church has spoken and said no. John Paul II, in a definitive formulation said that door is closed.

The last person to be beatified by Pope John Paul II was Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 2003.

In the name of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost..., I withdraw the government of the whole kingdom of the Germans and of Italy from Henry the King, son of Henry the Emperor. For he has risen up against thy church with unheard of arrogance. And I absolve all Christians from the bond of the oath that they have made to him or shall make. And I forbid anyone to serve him as king.

I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to pers­ue all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it is meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it.