Judas was just part of God’s plan for the world, Vatican scholars claim
For nigh on 2,000 years, the disciple’s name has been a byword for treachery with the name hurled at traitors, back-stabbers and turncoats everywhere.
Now a group of Catholic scholars is trying to portray a more sympathetic image of Judas, who betrayed Jesus to the Romans in return for 30 pieces of silver.
The scholars believe that Judas was not deliberately evil but was just fulfilling his part in God’s plan for the world.
The campaign to reassess Judas is being led by Monsignor Walter Brandmuller, who is head of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Science.
Monsignor Brandmuller told fellow scholars that it was time to look again at Judas, who betrayed Jesus with a kiss - so identifying him to Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Catholic writer Vittorio Messori said the rehabilitation of Judas would “resolve the problem of an apparent lack of mercy by Jesus towards one of his closest collaborators”.
The writer told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper that according to a Christian tradition, Jesus did forgive Judas and ordered him to purify himself.
The possible revision of Judas’s reputation comes after the reported discovery of ancient texts written by early Christians. Apparently these reflect the belief in the early church that Judas was fulfilling a divine mission which resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus and the salvation of man.
Monsignor Brandmuller said the text could put into context the beliefs of early Christians and cast light on how they saw the teachings of Christ.
The National Geographic Society, which is based in the United States, is understood to be planning a film, magazine articles for Easter and books about the ancient script.
However, the drive to re-establish Judas’s reputation has not won everyone’s support in the Vatican.
Theologian Monsignor Giovanni D’Ercole has said that such a move would create confusion among believers.
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