"The new soft totalitarianism that is advancing on the left wants to have a state religion It is an atheist, nihilistic religion - but it is a religion that is obligatory for all."

"For Europe, the fall of Communism has to be taken into account, and the fact that in the fight against Communism the recovery of Europe's Christian roots was the driving force."

"I can think that you are mistaken, but I have to be ready to give my life to maintain your right to make mistakes. I have to, though, have the right to say that you're mistaken. This is the principal of the liberal society."

"If you search for poverty, you'll find it, often in the family. Why? Because the family makes this great investment, from which we all benefit, but for which no-one helps. We have to point the spotlight on the family, and make political choices that sustain the family."

"John Paul II, above all, managed to contain the huge mass of frustration, of hate that had accumulated in that region, in favour of a peaceful transition. This was, without doubt, something that changed European history."

"The family has a social function and so it should be sustained."

"The family exists in order to allow women to have children and to have the protection of a male who takes care of them."

"The past was more Christian? At times perhaps, in others, though, no."

"We desecrated the traditional values, but new values didn't come along."

"On the other hand, I think that the family, the traditional family, has a fundamental social role, because it's there that children are born and the investment in children is the greatest investment a country can make. The benefits of this investment go to everyone."

"I think the State shouldn't poke its nose into the sexual relations of consenting adults."

"Relativism should be confronted where it damages fundamental human rights, because we're not relativists if we believe that the human being should be at the centre of society and the rights of every human being should be respected."

"No, moral conscience is one thing, the law is another. We have to hold onto this difference."

"That's possible, and in fact the legislation, the politics should graduate the advantages towards those who have children and give less to those who don't have children."

"Priests have to have the right to say that a sin is a sin."

"I support non-discrimination for homosexuals, but I think, or at least I have the right to think - without saying whether I think it or not - I have the right to think, along with the catechism of the Catholic Church, that homosexuality is morally wrong."

"One needs to know what the hierarchy of values are from which one takes inspiration, and in a democratic society this is the subject of continuous democratic debate."