papal quote

[Susan Ervin-Tripp]

The recent exchanges regarding the papal speech make me wonder about
two cultural features worth comparing across languages:

1. What is the social meaning of a quote?  If a religious person 
quotes, without
directly marking the quote as being one he disagrees with, do people assume it
is a statement of belief? How does one make use of an objectionable quote
and disengage from it?

Of course, speakers at long-winded conferences where bits can be selected by
the press are especially vulnerable to having their comments de-contextualized.
People I know who deal with the press a lot are very careful about 
this possibility.

2. What form does an apology take?  is the propositional content supposed to
be about what one did oneself or about the "victim."
An apology is a speech act that must be culturally particular.

Susan Ervin-Tripp