Quotable & Notable

“Unless you drain the swamp of poverty where the mosquitoes of terrorism breed, you will not rid the world of terrorism.”
-- Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, at the eastern regional assembly for Catholic Charities USA.

“I have news for them. It’s not their church. It’s our church. The church belongs to all of us.”
-- Justice Anne Burke, interim chairwoman of the lay National Review Board.

“I’m straight, but I’m not narrow.”
-- A bumper sticker

“I’ve been asked that question so often lately that I have considered a policy of denying Communion to reporters.”
-- Chicago Cardinal Francis George joked on being asked whether he would deny Communion to pro-choice politicians.

“I spent the next week trading my meat for dessert, learning how to play cards, having to listen to rednecks discuss American foreign policy and Iraq: ‘Yah ... I dunno what’s wrong with them people in the Middle East ... they all must be crazy or sumthin’... it must be sumthin’ in the water. I can’t believe Jesus used to live there!’ ”
-- H.K. describes a week spent in jail in Havre, Mont., for a visa violation, writing on Roaddawgz.org, a writing project for homeless youth

National Catholic Reporter, May 14, 2004