Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
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reason in the same way
about religion; for it would not be possible that men should have imagined
so many false religions, if there had not been a true one. The objection to
this is that savages have a religion; but the answer is that they have heard
the true spoken of, as appears by the Deluge, circumcision, the cross of
Saint Andrew, etc.
818. Having considered how it comes that there are so many false miracles,
false revelations, sorceries, etc., it has seemed to me that the true cause
is that there are some true; for it would not be possible that there should
be so many false miracles, if there were none true, nor so many false
revelations, if there were none true, nor so many false religions, if there
were not one true. For if there had never been all this, it is almost
impossible that men should have imagined it, and still more impossible that
so many others should have believed it. But as there have been very great
things true, and as they have been believed by great men, this impression
has been the cause that nearly everybody is rendered capable of believing
also the false. And thu