---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot expect a foreign country to be…"
description: "\"You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic than the pope for you.\" — Farah Diba"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg"
---

#  You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic…

![“You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic than the pope for you.” quote by Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg)

> “You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic than the pope for you.”

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Cultural expectations differ; you cannot assume a nation will align with your personal religious preferences.

**In simple terms:** Countries have their own religious identity.

Key Takeaway

Respect local traditions.

Themes

culture religion expectations

Mood

thoughtful respectful

Type

observational cautionary

When to use this quote

- travel
- intercultural communication
- policy making

Key Concepts

national identity religious pluralism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you adapt your expectations when abroad?
- What role does religion play in national identity?

A Different Perspective

Assuming uniformity can cause diplomatic friction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-pope-4138624/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Country Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-catholic-2242637/) [Expect Foreign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-foreign-4138625/) [Foreign countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-countries/) [Foreign country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-country/) [Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope/)

## Related quotes

> [I was raised a Catholic on both sides of the family. I went to a Catholic grade school and thought everybody in the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/i-was-raised-a-catholic-on-both-sides-of-the-family-i-went-to-a/)

[Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/)

> [If I were to arrive at a foreign country like Czech Republic, I don't have to speak Czech to understand the feeling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimenez-lai/if-i-were-to-arrive-at-a-foreign-country-like-czech-republic-i-don-t/)

[Jimenez Lai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimenez-lai/)

> [A foreign country can best be understood through its literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/a-foreign-country-can-best-be-understood-through-its-literature/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [I am a bohemian person. I don't speak German, and I live in a foreign country where all the signs are in German. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-newcombe/i-am-a-bohemian-person-i-don-t-speak-german-and-i-live-in-a-foreign/)

[Anton Newcombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-newcombe/)

> [If the United States is promoting the development of exploits, of vulnerabilities, of insecurity in this critical infrastructure, and we're not fixing it when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-the-united-states-is-promoting-the-development-of-exploits-of/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [MINISTER, n. An agent of a higher power with a lower responsibility. In diplomacy, an officer sent into a foreign country as the visible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/minister-n-an-agent-of-a-higher-power-with-a-lower-responsibility-in/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [When you work as a day player on a film or a TV thing, like you're visiting a foreign country, where you know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-heald/when-you-work-as-a-day-player-on-a-film-or-a-tv-thing-like-you-re/)

[Anthony Heald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-heald/)

> [Managing in a foreign country will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that doesn't come along that often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcclaren/managing-in-a-foreign-country-will-be-a-once-in-a-lifetime-experience/)

[Steve McClaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcclaren/)

> [After Cannes every year, I end up going to some foreign country I've never been to before and introducing myself to a new religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rodriguez/after-cannes-every-year-i-end-up-going-to-some-foreign-country-i-ve/)

[Michelle Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rodriguez/)

> [It is impossible to be among the woods animals on their own ground without a feeling of expanding one's own world, as when any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/it-is-impossible-to-be-among-the-woods-animals-on-their-own-ground/)

[Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/)

> [And, the sets that they built are just so beautiful. It's like going to a completely foreign country and experiencing a new culture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamsin-egerton/and-the-sets-that-they-built-are-just-so-beautiful-it-s-like-going-to/)

[Tamsin Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamsin-egerton/)

> [It is always a taut moment in a foreign country waiting to see if your English-speaking guide speaks English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/it-is-always-a-taut-moment-in-a-foreign-country-waiting-to-see-if/)

[Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/)

> [You deny that man is really so prejudiced as I suppose him; talk to him then of some foreign country, ask him what religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/you-deny-that-man-is-really-so-prejudiced-as-i-suppose-him-talk-to/)

[Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/)

> [The church must never become a government factory, carrying on a nationalized industry of religion with the people as the bolts and nuts; with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-archer/the-church-must-never-become-a-government-factory-carrying-on-a/)

[Glenn Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-archer/)

> [Buy a house in a foreign country and, it seems, that anything which can go wrong usually does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/buy-a-house-in-a-foreign-country-and-it-seems-that-anything-which-can/)

[Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/)

## More by Farah Diba

> [Some Iranian doctors from Europe and America go to Iran and operate for free or teach medical students there. The other day, I met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/some-iranian-doctors-from-europe-and-america-go-to-iran-and-operate/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [Fanaticism exists in every religion, whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/fanaticism-exists-in-every-religion-whether-christian-jewish-or-muslim/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [There are many people inside Iran who say, "We don't have enough to eat. Why do we need a nuclear bomb?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/there-are-many-people-inside-iran-who-say-we-don-t-have-enough-to-eat/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [Iranian women are very courageous and active, even with all the oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/iranian-women-are-very-courageous-and-active-even-with-all-the/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I hope in the end there will be a solution for the world, because we have advanced in so many ways, and still the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-hope-in-the-end-there-will-be-a-solution-for-the-world-because-we/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [It's normal that countries work for their own benefit, political and economic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/it-s-normal-that-countries-work-for-their-own-benefit-political-and/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I wanted to preserve the old buildings, not to destroy them and build something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-wanted-to-preserve-the-old-buildings-not-to-destroy-them-and-build/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I was never interested in money. I always looked down on it. But now that I have less money, I see that without money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-was-never-interested-in-money-i-always-looked-down-on-it-but-now/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I hope that things will change, because it's a pity that a country like Iran is not where it should be, or where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-hope-that-things-will-change-because-it-s-a-pity-that-a-country/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [You have to judge everybody on balance, all the positives and all the negatives. In the life of my husband, I think the positives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/you-have-to-judge-everybody-on-balance-all-the-positives-and-all-the/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I remember I went to an exhibition somewhere and one of the artists, an Iranian lady, said, "I wish we had somewhere that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-remember-i-went-to-an-exhibition-somewhere-and-one-of-the-artists/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [There are many Iranians working at NASA. One of the engineers involved with the spaceship that went to Mars is an Iranian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/there-are-many-iranians-working-at-nasa-one-of-the-engineers-involved/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [Of course, I didn't become an architect, but later on in Iran, I had a lot of contact and discussions with architects because Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/of-course-i-didn-t-become-an-architect-but-later-on-in-iran-i-had-a/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [I believe in freedom for women to have equal rights - the right to work, the right to hold high positions, the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/i-believe-in-freedom-for-women-to-have-equal-rights-the-right-to-work/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

> [Monarchies are above political parties. Sometimes political parties do things that are to the disadvantage of the country because they want to beat the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/monarchies-are-above-political-parties-sometimes-political-parties-do/)

[Farah Diba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

[Explore all 18 Farah Diba quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/)

## More Catholic quotes

> [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/)

[Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/)

> [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/)

[Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/)

> [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/)

[Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/)

> [I'm the daughter of a Kenyan Catholic father and a Mauritian Hindu mother, and I have a Jewish husband who was born in South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/i-m-the-daughter-of-a-kenyan-catholic-father-and-a-mauritian-hindu/)

[Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/)

> [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/)

[Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/)

> [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/)

[Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/)

> [ Girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his \[Jesus\] paths by the guidance of the Gospel. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-of-nursia/girded-with-faith-and-the-performance-of-good-works-let-us-follow-in/)

[Benedict of Nursia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-of-nursia/)

> [“Even at the tender age of twelve, when I knelt in front of the bishop for my confirmation, I had the sneaking suspicion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-edwards/even-at-the-tender-age-of-twelve-when-i-knelt-in-front-of-the-bishop/)

[Megan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-edwards/)

> [Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-and-don-t-worry/)

[Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/)

> [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/)

[Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/)

> [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/)

[John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/)

> [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/)

[Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/)

> [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/)

[Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/)

> [You can never completely get it - being a Christian - but I think I really got it when my first son was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/you-can-never-completely-get-it-being-a-christian-but-i-think-i/)

[Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/)

[Browse all 4,027 Catholic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic than the pope for you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Farah Diba"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-be-more-catholic-than-the-pope/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Catholic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-be-more-catholic-than-the-pope/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/farah-diba-29217_catholic_you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-b_1280786.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You cannot expect a foreign country to be more Catholic than the pope for you.” — Farah Diba",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Farah Diba",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-diba/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You cannot expect a foreign country...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-be-more-catholic-than-the-pope/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-diba/you-cannot-expect-a-foreign-country-to-be-more-catholic-than-the-pope/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
