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To: DManA
Romans killed Jesus in the name of Cesar. Romans bear the responsibility.

If one is a Christian one believes that all men, on account of their sins, bear the responsibility and are guilty of the death of the Lord.

If one is not a Christian then the only logical conclusion about guilt applies to the Roman officials and functionaries who carried out the crucifixion and the Sanhedrin officials and functionaries who threatened to incite a dangerous riot if the Romans did not comply.

33 posted on 07/14/2003 9:17:48 AM PDT by wideawake (God bless our brave soldiers and their Commander in Chief)
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To: wideawake; DManA; NYer
The traditional expression of the understanding of the Church: "... since the Jewish people rejected Our Lord even though He was Jewish and they were the Chosen People, they have a certain guilt that goes beyond that of other peoples."

598 In her Magisterial teaching of the faith and in the witness of her saints, the Church has never forgotten that "sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured." [Note 389: Roman Catechism I, 5, 11; cf. Heb 12.3] Taking into account the fact that our sins affect Christ himself, [Note 390: Cf. Mt 25:45; Acts 9:4-5] the Church does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus, a responsibility with which they have all too often burdened the Jews alone:

We must regard as guilty all those who continue to relapse into their sins. Since our sins made the Lord Christ suffer the torment of the cross, those who plunge themselves into disorders and crimes crucify the Son of God anew in their hearts (for he is in them) and hold him up to contempt. And it can be seen that our crime in this case is greater in us than in the Jews. As for them, according to the witness of the Apostle, "None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." We, however, profess to know him. And when we deny him by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on him. [Note 391: Roman Catechism I, 5, 11; cf. Heb 6:6; 1 Cor 2:8]

Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins. [Note 392: St. Francis of Assisi, Admonitio 5,3] (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 598)

For some perspective, the Church liturgically condemns the role of the Jews in the death of Christ two days per year - Palm Sunday and Good Friday in the reading of the Passion. 365 days per year, the Church condemns us sinners in the Church for our role. God the Father is ANGRY at us for the contemptuous way we treat His Son every day by continuing to sin, while outwardly professing to be His sons, and friends of Christ.

The Church does not deny the Jewish role at all, but she forcefully reminds us that it is we who will end up on the lower level of hell for our part in this crime, unless we also repent, as did many of the Priests who helped incite the crowd to put Christ to death (Cf. Acts 6.7).

61 posted on 07/14/2003 10:04:51 PM PDT by Hermann the Cherusker
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