Pope Benedict has been giving a series of Wednesday afternoon talks over the last few months about each of the 12 Apostles.
ZENIT has a very fascinating discussion of his final talk today, about Judas Iscariot.
Here is a link to the actual talk ZENIT News Agency–The World Seen from Rome and here is the commentary from ZENIT:
Pope: Judas’ Betrayal Sheds Light on God’s Mercy
Dedicates Address to Apostles Judas and Matthias
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 18, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Through Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Christ, we learn that Jesus respects human freedom and waits for a sinner’s repentance, says Benedict XVI.
The Holy Father said this today addressing some 30,000 who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the general audience.
Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to the figure of Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Christ, and Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas as one of the Twelve Apostles.
The Pope said that to understand the life of Judas means to understand decisive aspects of the mystery of man’s relationship with God.
Even after Judas’ death, said the Holy Father, it is not possible to pass a definitive judgment on him: Although "he departed afterward to hang himself, it is not for us to judge his gesture, putting ourselves in God’s place, who is infinitely merciful and just."
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