“The first proof of charity in a priest, especially a bishop, is poverty.”

“Anticipate charity by preventing poverty.”

“When we want to help the poor, we usually offer them charity. Most often we use charity to avoid recognizing the problem and finding the solution for it. Charity becomes a way to shrug off our responsibility. But charity is no solution to poverty. Charity only perpetuates poverty by taking the initiative away from the poor. Charity allows us to go ahead with our own lives without worrying about the lives of the poor. Charity appeases our consciences.”

“Poverty is a mathematical proof of the fact that mankind is a big failure!”

“What are you?' he [Nanapush] said to Damien, who was deep in a meditation over his [chess] bishop's trajectory.'A priest' said Father Damien'A man priest or a woman priest?'......'I am a priest', she whispered, hoarsely, fierce. 'Why' said Nanapush kindly, as though Father Damien hadn't answered, to put the question to rest, 'are you pretending to be a man priest?”

“Proof is boring. Proof is tiresome. Proof is an irrelevance. People would far rather be handed an easy lie than search for a difficult truth, especially if it suits their own purposes.”