Just in case you missed the first million times, here we go again.
Pope exonerates Jews for Jesus’ death in new book
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has made a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus Christ in a new book, tackling one of the most controversial issues in Christianity.
In “Jesus of Nazareth” excerpts released Wednesday, Benedict uses a biblical and theological analysis to explain why it is not true that the Jewish people as a whole were responsible for Jesus’ death.
Interpretations to the contrary have been used for centuries to justify the persecution of Jews.
While the Vatican has for five decades taught that Jews weren’t collectively responsible, Jewish scholars said Wednesday the argument laid out by the German-born pontiff, who has had his share of mishaps with Jews, was significant and would help fight anti-Semitism today.
“There’s a natural human tendency to take things for granted, and very often this tends to lead to a lapse in awareness and consciousness” about the risk of anti-Semitism, said Rabbi David Rosen, head of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee and a longtime leader in Vatican-Jewish dialogue.
He noted that the Vatican issued its most authoritative document on the issue in 1965, “Nostra Aetate,” which revolutionized the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews by saying Christ’s death could not be attributed to Jews as a whole at the time or today.
Rosen said the pope’s words might make a bigger, more lasting mark because the faithful tend to read Scripture and commentary more so than church documents, particularly old church documents.
This is fine, I am just not sure why it is news. Afterall, the Church has made this quite clear for quite a while. But I suppose it never hurts to repeat it.
I would have preferred this title instead though.
“Pope exonerates Jews for Jesus’ death, Abe Foxman hardest hit.”
March 2, 2011 at 2:20 pm
The problem is these never-ending statements are taken by the Jews to mean that they had no responsibility at all. All mankind was mysteriously responsible, as we have always been taught. Last I heard that includes Jewish people among everyone else. And really, the Nostra Aetate stuff has to stop. That was hardly an "authoritative" pronouncement on anything, Vatican II was not a dogmatic council. The Church never taught that the Jews were solely responsible, either of that time or generally, so the whole argument is a wobbly straw man.
This is what that bishop was correct to call for a Syllabus of Errors for Vatican II.
March 2, 2011 at 2:38 pm
Jack7777: The Jewish people were exonerated by the Son of God Himself when He prayed, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." In moral theology, knowledge is a key component for culpability – just as it is in secular law. That is why, people can be excused with the insanity defense. Somehow, the Son of God, has to be killed as a sacrifice to expiate for the sin of humanity. It was through the beloved Chosen People that the deed had to be done. If you were a soldier or a cop who needed to kill someone to defend someone else, you will know how heavy a guilt feeling is entailed by that duty – even if it were a legitimate kill.
March 2, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I think that is partially correct. The technical theological term is redemption, not exoneration. Exoneration would be a kind of protestant error whereby we are all shoe-ins for Heaven no matter how we lead our lives. We still have to conform our behavior to God's laws and be in a state of grace to enter Heaven and/or Purgatory. Christ gave us the opportunity, but we have to cooperate. And on Jesus's remark, I think it's fair to say that he was referring to the Roman soliders as well as everyone else, probably all of us too.
March 2, 2011 at 2:54 pm
And the pope's comments notwithstanding, the Church still teaches that Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity, the messiah God promised the world, and the King of the Jews and everyone else. So let's get back to basics at this point.
March 2, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I agree Jack. But faith in the Lord Jesus is a gift. God will not condemn those who did not get that gift – on no fault of their own i.e. invincible ignorance. That too is dogma.
March 2, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I do not blame all the Jews for the death of our Saviour. However, if a Jew accepts what the Talmud says about Christ's death being justified by the rabbis or if he hurts or kills a Christian because the victim is a Christian, I can not see how a Jew or a group of Jews who believe and do these things can escape the curse uttered 2000 years ago unless they repent of it.
March 2, 2011 at 3:13 pm
That is an interesting point. I believe in 1932 a council of Jewish elders formally apologized for their ancestors conduct during the trial of Jesus. They stated that it was a fundamentally unfair proceeding and that Jesus, under Jewish law at the time, was guilty of nothing. It is cited in Guiseppe Ricciotti's masterpiece, the Life of Christ. More does need to be said of anti-Catholic behavior on the part of contemporary Jews, maybe Abe Foxman can issue his own apology at some point. But I won't hold my breath.
March 2, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Rick, faith is absolutely necessary for salvation–without faith, it is impossible to please God. God also gives every person the means to come to faith. As St. Robert Bellarmine put it:
"For the pagans to whom the Gospel has not yet been preached, can know from His creatures that God exists; then they can be stimulated by God, through His preventing grace, to believe in God, that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him: and from such faith, they can be inspired, under the guidance and help of God, to pray and give alms and in this way obtain from God a still greater light of faith…"
Invincible ignorance can excuse one from knowledge of and belief in certain revealed truths, but not that faith by which man entrusts his well-being to God (there is no excuse for not believing He exists). Things like an implicit desire for Baptism, etc. are contained in this faith–it is a desire that would be reduced to action with the proper knowledge because of one's supernatural faith in God (that unconditional desire to do all He has commanded and believe all He has revealed).
Anyway, this is pretty old news–was it ever different? The crime of deicide committed by some Jews was not a new kind of original sin passing to all. All men will be judged by their own works, not their lineage.
March 3, 2011 at 12:07 am
Only 5 decades?? What about the preceding 200 decades??
March 3, 2011 at 3:33 am
yeah you can't expect the lib media to report on religion with even half a brain. it's like oil and water.
March 4, 2011 at 1:15 am
I don't like this sort of news. It pretty much affirms the MSM in their slanders against the Church. And I have no patience for the opportunistic Rabbis who use this sort of news to further bolster their claim that the Church has been the source and summit of all anti-Jewish animus. "Finally, we Jews can breathe easy, now that the Pope has given Catholics a reason to stop hating us."
I wonder: will John Galliano now stop declaring his love for Hitler when he's drunk? After all, if the Rabbi is right, Galliano's outburst must have been inspired by the Pope's failure, for the upteenth time, to exonerate Jews of deicide.
Denis
March 5, 2011 at 1:27 pm
They always have to get some little dig in against the Pope, i.e. "the German-born pontiff, who has had his share of mishaps with Jews…"
March 9, 2011 at 12:32 pm
They still have a deep-seated awareness that their ancestors were wrong to reject Jesus. He continues to be a lightning rod for them just as he was for the Pharisees.