For, by your own argument, we should otherwise he committing a sin if we did not find out the most saintly men and set them to silver-chiselling instead of ordaining them bishops and archbishops.

It would take a long time to build a church if you only employed masons who were in a state of grace." "Well, but would you not prefer that the artist should be a good man ?" "For his own sake, Don Paolo, for his own sake.

The thing he makes is not at all less worthy if he is bad.

Are there not in many of our churches pillars that stood in Roman temples?
Is not the canopy over the high altar in Saint Peter's made of the bronze roof of the Pantheon?
And besides, what is goodness?
We are all bad, but some are worse than others.

It is not our business to judge, or to distribute commissions for works of art to those whom we think the best among men, as one gives medals and prizes to industrious and well-behaved children." "That is very clear, and very true," answered the priest.
He did not really want to discuss the question of Marzio's belief or unbelief.