"He told La Stampa that there was a Christian tradition that held that Judas was forgiven by Jesus and ordered to purify himself with “spiritual exercises” in the desert."
And how, pray tell, was Judas to perform said exercises. He hung himself.
Another issue, it wasn't just Judas who was a Jew - they all were - Jesus and every apostle. How does this escape the learned men?
Respectfully, as a new poster, I'd like to say that there are some mysteries of God we will never know in this life.
Who is man to say suicide is unforgivable? God sees into every mans heart, He sees more than we do. How many that commit suicide are truly in their right minds? Would a suicide delete even every act of an otherwise righteous mans life?
I believe Judas is forgiven, if only because Judas was necessary to Gods plan (so was the King of Egypt. Again, Gods mystery). Judas Was remorseful, his heart was heavy with his betrayal. Most human beings have felt that way at one time or another.
For some reason there is a tendency among both anti-Semitic chr*stians and liberal Jews to think of Judas Iscariot as the only Jewish apostle when according to chr*stianity they were all Jews.
There are even some who claim that this apostle was given the name "Judas" in order to personify and demonize the Jews. These people apparently don't know that another apostle had the exact same name and is one of the most popular saints: Jude the Obscure, the "patron saint of lost causes." Hey, I was Catholic for six years!
Well maybe. In Acts, it says he "having fallen down headlong, burst in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out". Doesn't say he fell from the rope. Doesn't say how he fell headlong, but nothing about hanging.
Extreme denial.