>What I had intended to convey under THIS
>hypothesis is that the PR might have been those whose
>contact with Christianity (unlike that of their
>equally Latin-speaking neighbours ==perhaps those of
>the cities above all==) was rather superficial.******
Of course it was superficial if we understand by
superficial the circumstance that flocks of sheep
stay for long periods of time without higher ecclesiastic
hierarchy and/or links to bishopric sees, and being
attended more or less by scarce priests (if at all).
To a certain extent, Christians in the ex-Soviet Union
experienced something similar (in any case to a far
greater extent than in the bolshevized Romania between
1948-1989). This doesn't mean losing everything: sort
of a primitive rite, prayers (Pater noster) etc. can
stay alive and kickin'. After all, Christian faith means
... *faith*, and to a lesser extent theological-theosophical
sophistication. For Jesus said:
Matthew 5: 1-12 5: 1-12 Seeing the crowds, he went up
the hill. There he sat down and was joined by is disciples.
Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
"How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of
heaven."
Pax vobiscvm, :-)
g