Judas Iscariot to get Vatican makeover

-12/01/06

Interpretations of Judas Iscariot, the


Judas Iscariot to get Vatican makeover

-12/01/06

Interpretations of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, are being rethought by Vatican scholars.

The proposed ìrehabilitationî of the man who was paid 30 pieces of silver to identify Jesus to Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane, comes on the ground that he was not deliberately evil, but was just ìfulfilling his part in Godís planî reports the Times newspaper.

Historically Christians have often blamed Judas for aiding and abetting the Crucifixion, and his name is synonymous with treachery.

According to St Luke, Judas was ìpossessed by Satanî.

Now, a campaign led by Monsignor Walter Brandmuller, head of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Science, is aimed at persuading believers to look kindly at a man reviled for 2,000 years, reports the newspaper.

Mgr Brandmuller told fellow scholars it was time for a ìre-readingî of the Judas story. He is supported by Vittorio Messori, a prominent Catholic writer close to both Pope Benedict XVI and the late John Paul II.

The suggested re-interpretation may be explained by some as a result, at least in part, of the new ‘post-Christendom’ context.

Within Christendom, a close alliance of church and government meant that Christians often played down Jesusí radical message of mercy, love and forgiveness. Such values did not sit nicely with a church which had to play a part in governing, waging wars imprisonment and torture, and Jesus was often interpreted in more retributive terms.

As the church moves further from government however, room is made for interpretations of Jesus to re-emerge that are more in keeping with ideas of forgiveness rather than punishment.

Signor Messori said that the rehabilitation of Judas would ìresolve the problem of an apparent lack of mercy by Jesus toward one of his closest collaboratorsî.

He told La Stampa that there was a Christian tradition that held that Judas was forgiven by Jesus and ordered to purify himself with ìspiritual exercisesî in the desert.

In scholarly circles, it has long been unfashionable to demonise Judas and Catholics in Britain are likely to welcome Judasís rehabilitation.

Father Allen Morris, Christian Life and Worship secretary for the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, said: ìIf Christ died for all ó is it possible that Judas too was redeemed through the Master he betrayed?î

The ìrehabilitationî of Judas could help the Popeís drive to improve Christian-Jewish relations, which he has made a priority of his pontificate.

Some Bible experts say Judas was ìa victim of a theological libel which helped to create anti Semitismî by forming an image of him as a ìsinister villainî prepared to betray for money.

In many medieval plays and paintings Judas is portrayed with a hooked nose and exaggerated Semitic features. In Danteís Inferno, Judas is relegated to the lowest pits of Hell, where he is devoured by a three-headed demon.

The move to clear Judasís name coincides with plans to publish the alleged Gospel of Judas for the first time in English, German and French. Though not written by Judas, it is said to reflect the belief among early Christians ó now gaining ground in the Vatican ó that in betraying Christ Judas was fulfilling a divine mission, which led to the arrest and Crucifixion of Jesus and hence to manís salvation.

Mgr Brandmuller said that he expected ìno new historical evidenceî from the supposed gospel, which had been excluded from the canon of accepted Scripture.

But it could ìserve to reconstruct the events and context of Christís teachings as they were seen by the early Christiansî. This included that Jesus had always preached ìforgiveness for oneís enemiesî.

Some Vatican scholars have expressed concern over the reconsideration of Judas. Monsignor Giovanni DíErcole, a Vatican theologian, said it was ìdangerous to re-evaulate Judas and muddy the Gospel accounts by reference to apocryphal writings. This can only create confusion in believers.î The Gospels tell how Judas later returned the 30 pieces of silver ó his ìblood moneyî ó and hanged himself, or according to the Acts of the Apostles, ìfell headlong and burst open so that all his entrails burst outî.

Fortunately, the Times newspaper itself has come to the rescue, and using its wealth of theological knowledge to set everyone straight.

In an editorial today the paper concludes; ìTo see him as a victim is surely too generous ó even by modern standards. To contend that he did not know what he was doing does not square with biblical evidence. To conclude that he was only obeying orders is not satisfactory either. Nor did the Roman Empire often exploit the equivalent of ASBOs. The Vatican may decide to be very kindly towards him. Yet, Judas is surely a ëbad chapí.î

Well, that sorts that one out then.


Judas Iscariot to get Vatican makeover

-12/01/06

Interpretations of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, are being rethought by Vatican scholars.

The proposed ‘rehabilitation’ of the man who was paid 30 pieces of silver to identify Jesus to Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane, comes on the ground that he was not deliberately evil, but was just ‘fulfilling his part in God’s plan’ reports the Times newspaper.

Historically Christians have often blamed Judas for aiding and abetting the Crucifixion, and his name is synonymous with treachery.

According to St Luke, Judas was ‘possessed by Satan’.

Now, a campaign led by Monsignor Walter Brandmuller, head of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Science, is aimed at persuading believers to look kindly at a man reviled for 2,000 years, reports the newspaper.

Mgr Brandmuller told fellow scholars it was time for a ‘re-reading’ of the Judas story. He is supported by Vittorio Messori, a prominent Catholic writer close to both Pope Benedict XVI and the late John Paul II.

The suggested re-interpretation may be explained by some as a result, at least in part, of the new ‘post-Christendom’ context.

Within Christendom, a close alliance of church and government meant that Christians often played down Jesus’ radical message of mercy, love and forgiveness. Such values did not sit nicely with a church which had to play a part in governing, waging wars imprisonment and torture, and Jesus was often interpreted in more retributive terms.

As the church moves further from government however, room is made for interpretations of Jesus to re-emerge that are more in keeping with ideas of forgiveness rather than punishment.

Signor Messori said that the rehabilitation of Judas would ‘resolve the problem of an apparent lack of mercy by Jesus toward one of his closest collaborators’.

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.

In scholarly circles, it has long been unfashionable to demonise Judas and Catholics in Britain are likely to welcome Judas’s rehabilitation.

Father Allen Morris, Christian Life and Worship secretary for the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, said: ‘If Christ died for all ó is it possible that Judas too was redeemed through the Master he betrayed?’

The ‘rehabilitation’ of Judas could help the Pope’s drive to improve Christian-Jewish relations, which he has made a priority of his pontificate.

Some Bible experts say Judas was ‘a victim of a theological libel which helped to create anti Semitism’ by forming an image of him as a ‘sinister villain’ prepared to betray for money.

In many medieval plays and paintings Judas is portrayed with a hooked nose and exaggerated Semitic features. In Dante’s Inferno, Judas is relegated to the lowest pits of Hell, where he is devoured by a three-headed demon.

The move to clear Judas’s name coincides with plans to publish the alleged Gospel of Judas for the first time in English, German and French. Though not written by Judas, it is said to reflect the belief among early Christians ó now gaining ground in the Vatican ó that in betraying Christ Judas was fulfilling a divine mission, which led to the arrest and Crucifixion of Jesus and hence to man’s salvation.

Mgr Brandmuller said that he expected ‘no new historical evidence’ from the supposed gospel, which had been excluded from the canon of accepted Scripture.

But it could ‘serve to reconstruct the events and context of Christ’s teachings as they were seen by the early Christians’. This included that Jesus had always preached ‘forgiveness for one’s enemies’.

Some Vatican scholars have expressed concern over the reconsideration of Judas. Monsignor Giovanni D’Ercole, a Vatican theologian, said it was ‘dangerous to re-evaulate Judas and muddy the Gospel accounts by reference to apocryphal writings. This can only create confusion in believers.’ The Gospels tell how Judas later returned the 30 pieces of silver ó his ‘blood money’ ó and hanged himself, or according to the Acts of the Apostles, ‘fell headlong and burst open so that all his entrails burst out’.

Fortunately, the Times newspaper itself has come to the rescue, and using its wealth of theological knowledge to set everyone straight.

In an editorial today the paper concludes; ‘To see him as a victim is surely too generous ó even by modern standards. To contend that he did not know what he was doing does not square with biblical evidence. To conclude that he was only obeying orders is not satisfactory either. Nor did the Roman Empire often exploit the equivalent of ASBOs. The Vatican may decide to be very kindly towards him. Yet, Judas is surely a ëbad chap’.’

Well, that sorts that one out then.