Fear of Giving Offense Can Lead to Ambiguity

Sometimes, anyway.

I attended a typical Catholic parish, with the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, most of my life. At least for the last 15 or so years of that attendance, I read something in my missalette every Good Friday similar in content to what a reader sent me this year:

"The message of the liturgy in proclaiming the passion narratives in full is to enable the assembly to see vividly the love of Christ for each person, despite their [sic] sins, a love that even death could not vanquish. The crimes during the Passion of Christ cannot be attributed indiscriminately to all Jews of that time, nor to Jews today. The Jewish people should not be referred to as though rejected or cursed, as if this view followed from Scripture. The Church ever keeps in mind that Jesus, his mother Mary, and the Apostles all were Jewish. As the Church has always held, Christ freely suffered his passion and death because of the sins of all, that all might be saved."

-- Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

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Certainly Christ died for the sins of all, that all might be saved. Yet not all accept that sacrifice and some number reject the redemption won for them by Christ. It is pointless to get into the question of whether the greater number persons, or even the greater number of Catholics, are saved or are damned. For one thing, it is not in my line of expertise to even analyze, let alone criticize, the arguments for one side or the other put forth by some of the great theologians and doctors of the Church. Also, such an argument can seem presumptuous when forwarded by one who cannot himself know the answer in his own particular case. It is no reason to lose Hope, but is a good reason to consistently and humbly pray for the graces necessary for salvation.

The reality that not all are saved is made clear from Scripture, and is implicated by the words of consecration of the Precious Blood spoken by Our Lord, "...qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum." ("...which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."). The words of consecration of the Precious Blood are the same for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite of Mass. Yet in English, we suffer through the woefully inaccurate mis-translation of "for all" --instead of "for many" or "for the many"-- for the Latin phrase "pro multis".

The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) explains:

But the words which are added "for you and for many" ("pro vobis et pro multis"), were taken some of them from Matthew (26:28) and some from Luke (22:20) which however Holy Church, instructed by the Spirit of God, joined together. They serve to make clear the fruit and the benefit of the Passion. For if we examine its value, it will have to be admitted that Blood was poured out by the Savior for the salvation of all, but if we ponder the fruit which men will obtain from it, we easily understand that its benefit comes not to all, but only to many. Therefore when He said "for you" ("pro vobis"), He meant either those who were present, or those chosen from the people of the Jews such as the disciples were, Judas excepted, with whom He was then speaking. But when He added "for many" ("pro multis") He wanted that there be understood the rest of those chosen from the Jews or from the gentiles. Rightly therefore did it happen that "for all" ("pro universis") were not said, since at this point the discourse was only about the fruits of the Passion which bears the fruit of salvation only for the elect. And this is what the words of the Apostle aim at: Christ was offered up once in order to remove the sins of many, and what according to John the Lord says: "I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you gave to Me, for they are Yours" (John 17:9). Many other mysteries lie hidden in the words of this consecration, which pastors, God helping, will easily come to comprehend for themselves by constant meditation upon divine things and by diligent study.

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To say that the Jews should not be blamed specifically for Christ's death is true. We all are to blame. Every sinner born of woman is to blame. Me. You. Catholics and non-Catholics, equally. And therefore, the Jews should not be considered specially cursed because of the death of Christ.

However, what the advisal of the Bishop's Conference (however well-intended) risks is a notion of indifferentism, or to accept that the Jews do not need the salvation offered by Christ and His Church. Anyone who rejects Christ is, in a real sense, cursed. He who knowingly rejects the Catholic Faith, he who knows that it is the true Church founded by Christ and necessary to salvation, cannot be saved.

Please consider this carefully, and do not misunderstand. This imputes no condemnation on any individual person by me or by the Church, because the subjective knowledge and belief of the individual cannot be known by anyone except God. The objective reality of the person described in the paragraph above remains.

What bothers me is that advisals such as the one in the missalette can lead Catholics to fail in charity and not pray for the conversion of all people. It can lead them to believe that not everyone needs to believe in Christ-- and thus certain people are off limits to the proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Father has, by his actions even in the last month, confirmed this constant teaching of the Church.

This Easter, let us join with the Church in praying:

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui vis ut omnes homines salvi fiant et ad agnitionem veritatis veniant, concede propitius, ut plenitudine gentium in Ecclesiam Tuam intrante omnis Israel salvus fiat. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.