How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"The soul cannot be humbled by fasts and prayer; it must be broken by mortal sin to experience forgiveness of sin and rise to a state of grace. Otherwise, religion is nothing but dead logic." (5.1.22)
According to Padre Martinez, religious rules were made to be broken. He even believes that a person can't know what it's like to be religious unless they have committed a lot of sins. Father Latour begs to differ, since he doesn't see any problem with living a nice, moral life.
Quote #8
"We have a living Church here, not a dead arm of the European Church. Our religion grew out of the soil, and has its own roots." (5.1.24)
Padre Martinez is so sure of the value of his New Mexican church because he believes that the church has formed a sacred bond with the land that it's built on. He even accuses the official Catholic Church in Rome of being a "dead arm."
Quote #9
And Father Vaillant had not been content to be a mere missionary priest. He became a promoter. He saw a great future for the church in Colorado. (9.5.12)
Father Vaillant isn't a guy who will compromise on his values for the sake of a comfortable life. He even gives up his tough job in New Mexico for an even tougher job in the mountains of Colorado. He does this because he's dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith, no matter how much inconvenience it causes in his own life.