I do wonder how much we’re also all missing in terms of linguistic drift and translation issues, as well as cultural allusions that no one remembers that may have made interpretation easier early on.
I think the ancient world was more open about this being an issue. That’s why the Renaissance had polyglot bibles and the Hellenistic era Jewish population in Greece had the story of the Septuagint.
That said: I don’t think the pope’s words, did, or should, persuade anyone of anything they didn’t already believe. At least I hope not. The story reminds me that after my grandma had her third kid (in her late thirties) and told the priest she didn’t want any more, he told her she was no better than a prostitute. Needless to say, this did not change her mind.
