During the past several General Audiences, Benedict has been offering catechesis on the 12 Apostles – this week, he gets to Judas:

But why did he betray Jesus, asked the pope, listing all the various speculations mooted throughout history. “Some,” he said, “turn to the factor that he coveted money. Others uphold a Messianic type of explanation: Judas was disillusioned when he saw that his country’s politico-military liberation was not part of Jesus’ plans. In reality, the gospel texts stress another aspect. John expressly says the devil put into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. Luke writes much the same. This goes beyond historical reasons, explaining the matter in terms of the personal responsibility of Judas, who miserably ceded to the temptation of evil.”

In the gospels, then, his betrayal is seen as the effect of the action of Evil. But even this action, his betrayal, is inserted in God’s saving plan. “Jesus treated him as a friend but in his invitations to follow him along the path of the beatitudes, he did not enforce willingness nor did he provide against the temptations of Satan, respecting human freedom. In effect, there are truly many possible ways in which the human heart could be perverted. The only way to remedy this consists in not cultivating a vision that is solely individualistic, autonomous, but on the contrary, putting oneself over and again on the part of Jesus, taking his point of view.” But at the end, Judas repented, however his repentance “degenerated into desperation and self-destruction” The difference to what happened to Peter, who betrayed, repented and returned to trust in God, is for us “an invitation never to despair of divine mercy”.