the death of death

Pope Benedict XVI is such a wonderful scholar and theologian.  I have often wondered and speculated about the role of Judas.  Was it part of the plan, or did Jesus just allow for Satan to get too greedy and become the instigator to the death of death.  Jesus conquered death, but in the Wisdom of God, Satan sorta pulled the trigger on himself.

The Gospels, however, explain Judas' betrayal as "going beyond the historical reasons," and attributing it to "the personal responsibility of Judas who miserably submitted to a temptation of the Evil One. ... Jesus treated him like a friend but, in His invitations to follow Him, (he) did not force people's will or protect them from the temptations of Satan, respecting human freedom. Truly, there are many ways in which the human heart can be perverted. The only way to obviate them,” Benedict concluded, is “to be in full communion with Jesus."

and the obvious reference to anyone questioning about the false shepherds and false Christians that we all are at times.

“Here," said Pope Benedict, "is a final lesson: if even in the Church there is no lack of unworthy and false Christians, it is up to each of us to counterbalance the evil they commit with our own clear witness of Jesus Christ."