Quote #0
The Church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners.
Basil Hume
About This Quote
Often used in Christian preaching and pastoral writing to emphasize that the Church exists to welcome and heal people who struggle, not to showcase moral perfection.
Interpretation
The line frames the Church as a place for mercy, growth, and restoration rather than a community reserved for the already virtuous; it encourages humility and openness to repentance.
Variations
The Church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners.
Misattributions
- Pope Francis
- St. Augustine




