Cathal BarryThe Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that the religious authorities in Jerusalem were not unanimous about what stance to take towards Jesus.The Pharisees threatened to excommunicate his followers. To those who feared that “everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation”, the high priest Caiaphas replied by prophesying: “It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish” (Jn 11:48-50).
The Sanhedrin, having declared Jesus deserving of death as a blasphemer but having lost the right to put anyone to death, hands him over to the Romans, accusing him of political revolt – a charge that puts him in the same category as Barabbas who had been accused of sedition. The chief priests also threatened Pilate politically so that he would condemn Jesus to death.
Additionally, the Catechism notes that the historical complexity of Jesus’ trial is apparent in the Gospel accounts. The personal sin of the participants (Judas, the Sanhedrin and Pilate) is known to God alone, the Catechism states. “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.”
Jesus himself, according to the Church, 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.
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.” (Nostra Aetate 4).
Teaching
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” (Roman Catechism I, 5, 11).
Taking into account the fact that the sins of the faithful affect Christ himself (Mt 25:45), the Church does not hesitate to attribute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus, a responsibility, the Catechism notes, 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’.
“However, we profess to know him. And when we deny him by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on him.”
