Oh what a friend the Pope has in Judas
The curious laundering of the figure of Judas in the 'Church of Francis' continues
Now it is the official organ of the Vatican, L'Osservatore Romano, the one that returns to the charge with a claim of Judas to which the Holy Father has already accustomed us.
L'Osservatore Romano has published an article entitled “Our brother Judas”, written by Father Simone Caleffi, with the obvious intention of 'removing' him from hell, where the Church's tradition would have placed him according to such authors such as Saint Augustine or Saint Thomas Aquinas, among others. The article presents Judas to readers as an individual beset by difficult circumstances who should deserve pity and favourable attention.
“What can be more desperate than not accepting being forgiven, and therefore loved, by the person most dear to you? However, who can be sure of the eternal doom of Judas? writes Caleffi, who adds: “What could have passed through his heart at the end, what final thought, what crying? One thing is certain: Jesus, who is infinitely Merciful, offered his life for every man, and therefore also for the most unfortunate, desperate and guilty of his friends. Entering a person's heart is hard. Let alone understand the motives and behaviours of others when sometimes we can't even understand ourselves!”
The article is inspired by a homily on Holy Thursday in 1958 delivered by Father Primo Mazzolari, who argued that Judas was not in hell and tried to arouse in Catholics some compassion for Judas, arguing against the condemnation of Judas to hell has been a regular theme in post-conciliar theological missives. The famous thesis was proposed by Hans Urs von Balthazar in his text "Do we dare to hope 'that all men are saved?'". Pope Francis has also made comments similar to those of Caleffi, when in Holy Week 2020 he stated that he did not know where Judas was. “How did Judas end up? I don't know."
"Judas, perhaps a good boy, with good intentions, ends up being a traitor to the point of going to the market to sell," said Francis, who also drew on Mazzolari's homily. But “Christ never personally calls Judas a ‘traitor. Rather, Jesus calls him 'friend' and kisses him.
No, he doesn't call him a traitor. He only says that "it would be better for him not to have been born." A rather strange thing to say about someone destined for eternal bliss.
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