A "first-rate paradigm" of Christianity, "from whom we all still have a lot to learn". This is how the Pope defined Saint Paul during today’s audience, focussed on the apostle. "This is said Benedict XVI the purpose of the Pauline Year: learning from Saint Paul, learning faith, learning Christ, finally learning the way to a straight path". "One cannot appropriately understand Saint Paul unless one places him on the Judaic and Pagan background of his time", noticed the Holy Father, according to whom, "in this way, his character takes on a special historical and ideal value, revealing his sharing of and his unique position towards that milieu". "But this also applies to Christianity in general", he added. "A sublime, practically unrivalled but still intriguing character", Saint Paul "is for us as an example of total devotion to the Lord and His Church, as well as of great openness to humanity and its cultures". Hence his "special place, even in the effort of understanding what he has to tell us, as Christians of this day and age". So, the subject of the Pope’s catechesis the first of a cycle all about Saint Paul was "the milieu in which he lived and worked", starting from the realisation that "after all today’s socio-cultural context is not so different from that of his time". (continued)
