What would constitute useful history? That which should teach us our duties and our rights, without appearing to teach them. – Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary

In a sense, words are encyclopedias of ignorance because they freeze perceptions at one moment in history and then insist we continue to use these frozen perceptions when we should be doing better. – Edward de Bono

Today, for the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil. This fair land, once a distant outpost of the pagan world, has become, through the preaching of the Gospel, a beloved and gifted portion of Christs vineyard. – Pope John Paul II

Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both. – C. Wright Mills