- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday July 12 2000 11.57 BST
I hope I can persuade the church to loosen its stays a bit, and perhaps rock the boat a little"
1980
On the church's role in society:
"The church must give a firm lead against rigid thinking and the disposition to over-simplify difficult and complex problems"
1980
"The Christian voice must be loud and clear on the great political issues of the time - race relations, unemployment, disarmament and the proper distribution of the world's resources"
1981
On the victims of war:
"In our prayers we shall quite rightly remember those who are bereaved in our own country and the relations of the young Argentinian soldiers who were killed"
July 1982, at the Falklands memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral
On his marriage:
"A union of duty with delight"
July 1983
On the Prince and Princess of Wales's marriage:
"An arranged marriage"
1996
On the plight of the poor and the unemployed:
"How long can we wait for jam tomorrow?"
July 1984
"I am getting out at the next station"
1997, when a fellow passenger on the London Underground invited him to "save" a busker
On toleration:
"The church has come through a period when so many questions were deeply divisive - ordination of women, remarriage of divorcees, homosexuality, issues of peace and war. There have been no resignations, despite deeply held and differing convictions. There's been a readiness to recognise goodness and even sanctity from those with whom you disagree."
1990
"I don't mind facing opposition, but what has hurt me has been the grubbing around. Trying to find ways of damaging one's family life"
January 1991
"If anybody thinks that it is easy and it doesn't cost very much to your personal soul to pursue the middle way, if anybody thinks that it's simple trying to please everybody like a chameleon, let them come and try and ponder the Scripture and say their prayers and try to hold the church together"
1990
On a controversial biography:
"I have done my best to die before this book is published"
1996
On homosexual priests:
"I've always been conscious that they might stab me in the back because I wasn't one of them"
1996
On doubt:
"About so many areas of life I am not sure what I believe in really. That is what made me a reluctant archbishop"
1999
On humour:
"I do this out of a sense of moral responsibility"
1999, asked why he supported Liverpool FC
"People who have not got a sense of humour shouldn't ever be put in charge"
1999
On his cancer:
"I am dying cheerfully"
April 2000
"Life is so much more enjoyable if you don't go on about your illnesses"
April 2000
