"A primary, key factor to be kept in mind is the relation between the milieu in which Saint Paul was born and grew, and the global context in which he then fitted in", said the Pope, pointing out that "it comes to him from a very specific, clear-cut culture, certainly a minority culture, which is the one of the People of Israel and their tradition". While at that time the Jews "must have been around 10% of the total population", in Rome around the mid-1st century they were "no more than 3% of the city’s population". "Their beliefs and their lifestyle, as it still happens today, neatly separated them from the surrounding milieus", commented the Pontiff. Hence the two opposing positions: "either mockery, which could lead to intolerance, or admiration, which was expressed through different forms of niceness". "It’s no surprise", then that Paul himself "received this double, clashing judgement". (continued)
