The Daily Telegraph reports: 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. … 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. … The Catholic Church issued its most authoritative teaching on the issue in its 1965 Second Vatican Council document Nostra Aetate, which revolutionised the church’s relations with Jews by saying Christ’s death could not be attributed to Jews as a whole at the time or today. Blaming the Jews for Jesus’ death has never made much sense to me. First of all, Jesus and many of His disciples were Jews, so obviously it was only some of the Jews who were responsible of the decision. Secondly, even if you could somehow overlook that fact, the people who were responsible for Jesus’ death lived almost 2000 years ago. Blaming modern-day Jews for Jesus’ death makes about as sense as blaming the current Supreme Court for the Dred Scott case. Nevertheless, this idea has persisted, and was no small part in Hitler’s crusade against the Jews. Given that the idea does exist, and survives despite all logical arguments to the contrary, I’m glad to see that Benedict made this declaration. (My only criticism of the Daily Telegraph article is that the title of the article, “Pope exonerates Jews for Jesus’ death” doesn’t make it clear that this has been the Catholic position since Vatican II, but at least it’s mentioned in the article.)

The Daily Telegraph reports:

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.

… 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.

…

The Catholic Church issued its most authoritative teaching on the issue in its 1965 Second Vatican Council document Nostra Aetate, which revolutionised the church’s relations with Jews by saying Christ’s death could not be attributed to Jews as a whole at the time or today.

Blaming the Jews for Jesus’ death has never made much sense to me. First of all, Jesus and many of His disciples were Jews, so obviously it was only some of the Jews who were responsible of the decision.

Secondly, even if you could somehow overlook that fact, the people who were responsible for Jesus’ death lived almost 2000 years ago. Blaming modern-day Jews for Jesus’ death makes about as sense as blaming the current Supreme Court for the Dred Scott case.

Nevertheless, this idea has persisted, and was no small part in Hitler’s crusade against the Jews. Given that the idea does exist, and survives despite all logical arguments to the contrary, I’m glad to see that Benedict made this declaration.

(My only criticism of the Daily Telegraph article is that the title of the article, “Pope exonerates Jews for Jesus’ death” doesn’t make it clear that this has been the Catholic position since Vatican II, but at least it’s mentioned in the article.)