The Synod of Bishops is entering its third week. We dedicate this week's Quotes and news to statements made by various speakers at the synod.

Know the Quran

"The Word of God unites us; it reinforces our faith. We must not be afraid to love the Word of God, to share it with our brothers and sisters. ...We also must not be afraid of knowing certain verses of the Quran. ...We must not allow this zeal to become a weapon to exploit others, to judge them, to persecute them or to contradict them. ...We must also do our absolute best to make sure the Word of God is not the source or cause of conflicts, disputes and disagreements among our faithful."

Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus, Syria.

The fifth Gospel

"To read, to meditate and to pray the Word of God in the Holy Land is a very special gift. In the Holy Land, the Word of God has become a living reality that is concrete and has flesh. Even the geography enriches people," the patriarch said. "We have called the Holy Land 'the fifth Gospel'."

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem.

Bible and unity

"Christian unity stands at the heart of the Gospel's message; division within the body of Christ is a scandal before God and before the world. ...Focusing on the importance of Scripture is a theme that is central to the life of the whole Church, calling forth obedience in the Church's listening, obedience in our proclamation and obedience in our responding to the Word of God made flesh for the sake and salvation of the whole world."

Fr Robert K. Welsh, the US-based president of the Disciples of Christ's council on Christian unity.

Ignorance of the Bible

"Recent research, commissioned by the Catholic Biblical Federation and carried out in 10 European countries, demonstrated that there is quite incredible ignorance among believers concerning elementary notions in the Bible. For example: 'Are the Gospels part of the Bible?', 'Did Jesus write any books in the Bible?', 'Which of these two people appears in the Old Testament - Moses or Paul?', etc. Such ignorance offers fertile soil for sects."

Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Learning by heart

"Since the beginning of my episcopacy in 1990, I have been trying to memorise all the biblical passages of daily Mass. And most of the time in my preaching, it is enough for me to let the words of God speak by themselves. Then my people understand very well and they are so happy to hear directly the Word of God and the Word of God itself saves the people. ...So, would it not be vital, first, to incorporate a certain amount of Bible 'by-hearting' in the formation programme of the future and present priests?"

Bishop Vincent Ri Pyung-Ho of Jeonju, Korea.

The poor and the Bible

"It was the poor who really opened me up to the force of the Word. ...The poor are profoundly receptive to the Word of God, and the Church should always read it with them close at hand. I ask that this synod demonstrates great confidence in the way the humble people and lay persons in general welcome the Word."

Bishop Emmanuel Lafont of Cayenne, French Guyana.

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