Posted on 03/02/2011 11:14:14 AM PST by T Minus Four
Pope Benedict XVI has made a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus Christ, tackling one of the most controversial issues in Christianity in a new book. In Jesus of Nazareth-Part II excerpts released on Wednesday, Benedict explains biblically and theologically why there is no basis in Scripture for the argument 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 Catholic Church has for five decades taught that Jews weren't collectively responsible, Jewish scholars said on Wednesday the argument laid out by the German-born pontiff, who has had his share of mishaps with Jews, was a landmark statement from a pope that would help fight anti-Semitism today. "Holocaust survivors know only too well how the centuries-long charge of 'Christ killer' against the Jews created a poisonous climate of hate that was the foundation of anti-Semitic persecution whose ultimate expression was realised in the Holocaust," said Elan Steinberg of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants.
(Excerpt) Read more at au.news.yahoo.com ...
Thanks, I have not seen this document before.
I thought Rome executed him. Jewish law didn’t allow for the execution.
The distinction between “the cause” and “the reason” seems to elude you.
While the Romans did the actual dastardly deed, the Jews were really responsible for falsely accusing Him, turning Him over, and demanding His execution. And they did accept responsibility for it.
Yes, in one respect, we are all guilty, as our sin is what caused it to be necessary in the first place, but the Jews did take responsibility for it.
Acts 2:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
Looks like Peter had a different opinion of who was responsible for Jesus death.
Which pope is right, I wonder?????
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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I will sleep so much better now knowing this. What a relief.
You can cynically laugh at this, after all, what does it it matter?! Well, it does. If you knew the every day casual, for lack of a better word, anti-semitism still alive and well, thriving in all parts of Europe, harmless to be sure, or almost harmless, I can testify to that personally, then you’ll appreciate the significance of the Papa’s statement. Maybe it’ll do some good if it’s read from the pulpit at my sister’s church next Sunday.
He willingly chose to die for our sins. To say that anyone “killed” Him would infer that they had power over Him.
They did not, and no one of this earth ever will.<
There you have it. Salvation.
Day late and a dollar short!
That was nice of him, the creep. But what about the Romans?
You beat me to it.
Nicely said.
Jesus makes it pretty clear in John 19:11 that the Jews who turned him over to Pilate were responsible for his death.
You take yourself entirely too seriously, my friend.
It is only the distinction that is serious.
Thanks. Knew that (one of many) but Isaiah has the greatest prophesy. It’s the way it was spelled out.
Here's the Catechism of Trent (AD 1566) which teaches the same thing taught by today's Catechism which is exactly what the Church has been teaching for 2000 years and will continue to teach for all the time that separates us from the Second Coming: Christ died for the sins of ALL of humanity, represented by Jews AND Gentiles in the account of his Sorrowful Passion:
"[...]REASONS WHY CHRIST SUFFERED
The reasons why the Saviour suffered are also to be explained, that thus the greatness and intensity of the divine love towards us may the more fully appear. Should anyone inquire why the Son of God underwent His most bitter Passion, he will find that besides the guilt inherited from our first parents the principal causes were the vices and crimes which have been perpetrated from the beginning of the world to the present day and those which will be committed to the end of time. In His Passion and death the Son of God, our Saviour, intended to atone for and blot out the sins of all ages, to offer for them to his Father a full and abundant satisfaction. Besides, to increase the dignity of this mystery, Christ not only suffered for sinners, but even for those who were the very authors and ministers of all the torments He endured. Of this the Apostle reminds us in these words addressed to the Hebrews: Think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in you minds.25 In this guilt are involved all those who fall frequently into sin; for, as our sins consigned Christ the Lord to the death of the cross, most certainly those who wallow in sin and iniquity crucify to themselves again the Son of God, as far as in them lies, and make a mockery of Him.26 This guilt seems more enormous us than in the Jews, since according to the testimony of the same Apostle: If they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory;27 while we, on the contrary, profess to know Him, yet denying Him by our actions, seem in some to lay violent hands on him.
CHRIST WAS DELIVERED OVER TO DEATH BY THE FATHER AND BY HIMSELF<> But that Christ the Lord was also delivered over to death by Father and by Himself, the Scriptures bear witness. For in as (God the Father) says: For the wickedness of my people I struck him.28 And a little before the same Prophet filled with the Spirit of God, cried out, as he saw the Lord covered with stripes and wounds: All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.29 But of the Son it is written: If he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed.30 This the Apostle expresses in language still stronger when, in order to show how confidently we, on our part, should trust in the boundless mercy and goodness of God, he says: He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things.31 *
THE BITTERNESS OF CHRIST'S PASSION
The next subject of the pastor's instruction is the bitterness of the Redeemer's Passion. If we bear in mind that his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground and this,32 at the sole anticipation of the torments and agony which He was about to endure, we must at once perceive that His sorrows admitted of no increase. For if the very idea of impending evils was overwhelming, and the sweat of blood shows that it was, what are we to suppose their actual endurance to have been? That Christ our Lord suffered the most excruciating torments of mind and body is certain. In the first place, there was no part of His body that did not experience the most agonizing torture. His hands and feet were fastened with nails to the cross; His head was pierced with thorns and smitten with a reed; His face was befouled with spittle and buffeted with blows; His whole body was covered with stripes. Furthermore men of all ranks and conditions were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.33 Gentiles and Jews were the advisers, the authors, the ministers of His Passion; Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, all the rest deserted Him.[...]"
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