Jews are not collectively responsible for Jesus' death
597 The historical complexity of Jesus' trial is apparent in the Gospel accounts. The personal sin of the participants (Judas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate) is known to God alone. Hence we cannot lay responsibility for the trial on the Jews in Jerusalem as a whole, despite the outcry of a manipulated crowd and the global reproaches contained in the apostles' calls to conversion after Pentecost.385 Jesus himself, in forgiving them on the cross, and Peter in following suit, both accept "the ignorance" of the Jews of Jerusalem and even of their leaders.386Still less can we extend responsibility to other Jews of different times and places, based merely on the crowd's cry: "His blood be on us and on our children!", a formula for ratifying a judicial sentence.387 As the Church declared at the Second Vatican Council:
- . . . [N]either all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the crimes committed during his Passion. . . [T]he Jews should not be spoken of as rejected or accursed as if this followed from holy Scripture.388
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."389 Taking into account the fact that our sins affect Christ himself,390 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.391Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins.392
St. Peter teaches that the Jews crucified Jesus. Not all Jews and not the "average" Jew, because there is no such thing. But practitioners of Judaism are responsible for the dead of our Lord.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 4:16 pm,
DeleteWe are not Protestants who interpret scripture as they see fit. Only the Catholic Church has the authority to interpret scripture, and this is what we follow as Catholics. Please read what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says.
Diana, the actual wording of the catechism changes from century to century. Please, read a catechism from pre-Vatican 2. Only the Word of God remains the same forever.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 4:36 pm,
DeleteThe Catechism, which I quoted in the OP, is valid and legitimate. It is what the Catholic Church follows TODAY.
anon @4:16pm
DeleteSt Peter does not teach that, "prationers of the Jewish faith killed Christ". St. Peter considered himself a practitioner of the Jewish faith with the exception of his belief that it culminated in Christ. You want to paint things black and white but they are more complex then simply stating that all who practice Judaism killed Christ. Also because it is literally untrue. It was a select and specific people who planned and put Christ on the cross. If you want to get technical. So the statement you are making is first of all taking the words of Peter out of context (the context is that he is trying to get Jews to convert and recognize in Christ the savior). If he was trying to make a direct accusation of murder to be followed by punishment he would not generalize he would seek for the people who committed the crime by name not by ethnic or religious group. Technically the Romans where the ones who physically killed Christ.
So again the statement you are making does not, cannot support your theory. The church calls on us to LOVE the Jews as it calls on us to love all mankind. Christ loved the Jewish people because he considered them HIS PEOPLE. So again the statement you are making is insidious and ridiculous.
St. Peter was a Jewish Jew, so what he says is true. He calls attention that it is a heresy to deny Jesus as Son on God. Why? because it is divine! You cannot have a Son of God who is not a God himself, as Jesus Christ the second person of Holy Trinity.
DeleteWhen you kill a Son of God like Jesus you commit heresy. It is a very strong warning against killing Jesus. He was crucified by the demand of the high priest by Pilate. St. Peter tells the whole story so we know it that the high priest and the scribes were the heretics together with Pilate. You cannot kill a Son of God just for the fun of it!
Pilate scoffed at Jesus our Lord that He was the King of the Jews. But His kingdom was divine. So He did not open his mouth at all. That is why they thought heresy is okay to deny Him. But St. Peter says it was not! A Christian says Jesus is Lord. It was the invention of heresy to say He was not Son of God. The Jewish Jews fell into this heresy. St. Peter was one of them and he said no. That is why he was canonized as a holy saint of the Catholic Church, St. Peter a Jewish Jew who said no to heresy!
Anon @ 3:59pm
DeleteAgain you are being juridical and just using more confusing juridical language to support your theory. For the Jews it is also a heresy to kill God. St. Peter was trying to scandalize them to recognize the seriousness of what their pride and sin had led them to do. Which was to kill God himself, just as when we sin we become God of our existence and reality and kill God in us.
The Jews had the option to recognize this and accept that even though they killed the Author of life (Christ/God himself), Christ DID NOT DIE he resurrected from the dead to forgive those who recognize how sin destroys them and the image of God in them both in a physical and metaphysical way.
So by stating that they KILLED CHRIST and therefor committed a heresy you are actually committing an actual heresy because you are denying the resurrection of Christ. If Christ resurrected to forgive the fault of having killed him how can you deny that glory of God stating Jews killed him/committed a heresy/ and are therefor condemned. All of mankind has the option to receive the mercy of Christ which he won for us with his death and resurrection.
To presume to know who is condemned is to take the very place of God who is the only one who can judge a men's true intentions and what is in his heart.
"lord you scrutinize me and you know me".
Anon @ 4:36 pm
ReplyDeleteThe catechism which was quoted is not only valid but faithful to the traditions of the Peter and the Apostles. It is a summary of all the collective traditions as passed down in the early church by Peter (the rock for we believe in Peter as the foundation of the church and its traditions).
The catechism did not exist pre-Vatican Council II. So NO it has not changed. Although the word of God remains unchanged the interpretations of men based on their whim changes constantly. Some people have used the bible to justify their own atrocities or sins. Others have created their own religions which can never reach the truth of the Gospel. Fortunately for us, thanks to John Paul II, we have a summary of all the traditions of the Catholic Church as written in texts like the Didache, filocalia, Church fathers, writtings of St. Thomas Aquinas etc in a summary called the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You would not even have read the bible pre Vatican Council II since it was prohibited to lay people. Precisely because of the danger of creating new made up religions.
"The catechism did not exist pre-Vatican Council II."
DeleteI don't know which Catholic Church are you talking about. In my Catholic Church we had a catechism pre-Vatican 2.
The Catholic Church interprets the Bible according to its teaching.
DeleteThe CCC says: "Our crime in this case is greater in us than in the Jews. As for them [the Jews], 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.""
Ignorance led the Jews to their crime which is lesser than our crime who crucify Jesus every day when we indulge in sin. "It is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins." If you are a sinner, then you are a murderer of Jesus.
Anon @ 8:31 am
DeleteYou are a funny funny man. Considering all sacred texts where off limits to people pre-Vatican Council II much less the actual teachings anyway teach youself some history.
The decision to publish a catechism was taken at the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that was convened by Pope John Paul II on 25 January 1985 for the 20th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council, and in 1986, put a commission composed of 12 bishops and cardinals in charge of the project.[3] The commission was assisted by a committee consisting seven diocesan bishops, experts in theology and catechesis.[3]...
My friend, you might be surprised but I have attended catechism classes before Vatican 2 and my family had a Bible that we used to read to keep track of the daily reading of the Catholic mass.
DeleteIt is very disrespectful to older generations to say that whatever was before Vatican 2, does not count anymore. This is heresy, my friend. Your only excuse could be your young age that you have never heard about the best practices of being Catholic before Vatican 2.
Actually, many things that happened at Vatican 2 was heretic and had to be trimmed. The documents had to be cleaned up from heretic penetration. The majority of bishops did a good job to limit the damage and Pope Paul 6 placed a firmly established theological tab on further heretical advances.
As soon as NCW and other post-Vatican 2 adventures are off the picture, the proper pre-Vatican 2 church practices will indispensably resume.
You confuse the renewal of the church catechism with the creation of one. John-Paul 2 wanted an update, not a new creation and that is what he got! Despite the efforts of the heretics, the updated catechism is full of genuine teachings that can never be done away.
DeleteI am amazed how can you just ignore the good ole'fashioned Catholic faith that we keep at our heart so long as we live. Your twisted approach won't last long, my friend, because the water that does not come from the clean fountain of purity will become inexplicably murky. Just watch my words, my friend.
Anon 9:50pm:
ReplyDeleteThen what is the Catechism of the Council of Trent?
Dear Anonymous at 12:06 am,
DeleteThen find the quote in that catechism where it says that the Jews are responsible for Jesus' death.
Diana, the CCC quotes Matt 27:25.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:06 am,
DeleteShow me the quote from the Catechism of the Council of Trent saying that the Jews are responsible for Jesus death.
Hi Diana,
DeleteThe footnote in the CCC from that last section you quoted also places the reference to the Roman Catechism I, 5, 11.
But if you want to find it online by searching for the 1566 catechism it says:
This guilt seems more enormous in 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; while we, on the contrary, professing to know Him, yet denying Him by our actions, seem in some sort to lay violent hands on him.
Therefore, isn't it partially true that the Jews crucified Jesus and were responsible for his death with the other part being Christian sinners who claim to know him yet continue in their sin?
Taken from the headings of the CCC which you quoted:
Jews are "not collectively responsible" for Jesus' death
And
"All sinners" were the authors of Christ's Passion
?
Dear Anonymous at 11:02 am,
DeleteThe guilt is more enormous in us than in the Jews or the Romans because we are the ones who claimed to know Him while the Jews and Romans were ignorant. The Roman soldiers, for example, were only following orders and had no idea who they crucified. The same is said of the Jews.
You mean the Jews were only following order? Whose order?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 1:39 pm,
DeleteI meant they were ignorant like the Roman soldiers. They did not know He was the Son of God.
"Therefore, isn't it partially true that the Jews crucified Jesus and were responsible for his death?"
DeleteOnly technically. Especially the high priest, the scribes and the Pharisees. They considered Jesus a blasphemer. However, we consider Jesus Lord and savior. Still, we betray him by sin! We are irredeemable sinners. We dwell and revel in sin. We are responsible for the crucifixion of the Lord spiritually. Our enjoyment of sin made Jesus die!
Now, consider which is the gravest crime, the physical or the spiritual? Who has the greater guilt to bear, those who followed the divine plan or those who deny Jesus every day by turning away from him and toward sin? Of course, the spiritual crime is the gravest! That is why our guilt is also greater. We are the spiritual murderers of Jesus!
Dear anon at 4:20 pm, this distinction between physical and spiritual responsibility does not make much sense. First of all, the Jews did not and could not know about any divine plan to crucify Jesus. How could have they followed a plan that they had no idea about?
DeleteThen, you say sin is a "spiritual murder" of Jesus. How is it so? Sin is bad enough as it is, a sinful act. Even worse if you accept and live in sin. But sinners do not murder Jesus. He had died 2000 years ago. Period.
The whole point of salvation is that we are not irredeemable sinner. Through the grace of the Lord, you can stop to be a sinner by repenting and confessing you sin! Don't forget contrition! If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, that He is risen and he is God, then your sin may be forgiven upon repentance and confession.
There is distinction! Dying is physical but being raised is spiritual. Like the kingdom on earth is physical and the kingdom in heaven is spiritual. Also, sin is physical but forgiveness is spiritual. Saving the world is the ultimate spiritual act. Jesus is Savior! Those who physically killed Jesus were corrected by the Father by raising Him from the dead on the third day. If Jesus is alive then what are they guilty of?
DeleteThe distiction may not make much sense, but if Jesus is God, our God, our savior, doesn't it shed light on the severity of our sins, the great mercy of God, and why we should go to confession when we willingly commit and/or realize that what we've done is an offense to God?
Delete"If Jesus is alive then what are they guilty of?"
DeleteParticipating in God's plan of saving the world.
Killing Jesus was an offense to God. Both physically and spiritually. An irredeemable sin. The crucifixion of our Lord is the scandal of the whole universe!
Delete"If Jesus is alive then what are they guilty of?"
DeleteWell, God corrected Israel, but would they accept the correction? Would they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? I have never heard any rabbi acknowledging that in the Domus Galilaeae.
Anon at 11:03 am, are you proposing that we should pay credit to the Jews for "participating in God's plan of saving the world"? For the love of God, we are talking about the death of Jesus!
Delete12:35pm:
DeleteThen we should be talking about his resurrection because he's very much ALIVE.
All I can tell you is that all credit for the resurrection of Jesus goes to God alone and not to Israel! Jesus is well and alive in the heaven but He is badly missing from Israel, His holy land. His own Jewish brothers deny Him and strip Him from his divine status as Son of God.
DeleteAnon 7:51,
DeleteYou're right about the credit going to God. But, as far as his Jewish brothers denying his divine status, can you really blame them? If in their eyes he did not meet the requirements to be their savior, worshiping him would be like denying God himself. It would be breaking the 1st commandment in their eyes. Can we really blame them for not acknowledging him as God if that's the case?
Peter had to explain to the Jews that Jesus was killed by hanging him on a tree. Which means crucifying. This should induce a repentance in Israel for its sin.
ReplyDelete"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”" (Acts 5:29-32)
This is a misunderstanding that Israel had or has to repent. For what? Jesus did not consider Israel or the Jews as his enemy. He himself was a circumcised Jew. So how could have been the Jews his enemies?!
DeleteAccording to the central teaching of Christianity he had to lay down his life for his enemies which were not the Jews. We were and are his enemies who dwell in sin without repentance. Therefore he laid down his life for us! We needed salvation alone because we made ourselves his enemy by being sinners.
Even unknowing, the Jews helped Jesus to accomplish his great work of salvation by guiding him through the trials at the Sanhedrin, at Herod and at Pilate. They even asked for Barrabas so that Jesus could go ahead with his Godly plan. Without them, Jesus would have remained a Jewish sage and teacher of the Law.
It is us who give consent and demand the death of the innocent so that we may get away with our sin. It is us who are sinners. Therefore we are the enemy of Jesus who murdered him so that he may lay down his life for his enemies, for us. We led the crowd yelling death on Jesus and we led the hands of the Roman soldiers. Shame on us, sinners!