He risked everything, and he is now immortal.
-- Monsignor Luciano (Prologue)

Importance: This quote from the prologue lays the groundwork for an ongoing struggle within Angelo throughout the novel. Angelo has always felt a call to join the church, but admits to Eva that most priests secretly want to achieve martyrdom, canonization, or other notoriety within the church itself. The quote appearing so early in the novel creates the expectation that Angelo wants the same things for himself, and underscores the struggle he undergoes when grappling with his sentiments for Eva and his dedication to the church. Furthermore, it speaks to the degree of danger often present in achieving great things, which foreshadows Angelo's many sacrifices he will have to make when protecting Jewish refugees in Rome.

Loving someone and then losing them would be much worse than not having them at all."
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: Although the narrator is at this point in the novel narrating...