” “"The true philosophy": with these words, said the Pope, the Christian religion "came to be defined" by an apologist who was a contemporary of Justin, the bishop Melitone di Sardi. "The figure and work of Justin mark the neat option of the ancient Church for philosophy rather than for the religion of the pagans", highlighted Benedict XVI according to whom "the first Christians firmly rejected any compromise with the pagan religion", because "they considered it idolatry, no matter if for this reason they were accused of impiety and atheism". Justin, in particular, "implacably criticised the pagan religion and its myths, that he considered diabolic diversions along the path to truth". Philosophy was instead "the privileged area of the convergence of paganism, Judaism and Christianity on the plane of the criticism of the pagan religion and of its false myths". "In fact commented the Pope the pagan religion did not move along the paths of the Logos, but persisted in those of the myth, even if this was recognised by the Greek philosophy as unfounded in truth. So, the pagan religion was doomed", as the "logical consequence of the separation of religion reduced to an intricate group of ceremonies, conventions and habits from the truth of being". (to be continued)” “
