Pope's New Book Explores Creation, Search for Truth

(March 03, 2011) In his latest book, Pope Benedict XVI is underlining the serious need for mankind to recognize and understand truth and the meaning of creation by drawing near to God. The Pope makes this reflection in his book, "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week," scheduled to be released March 10 by Ignatius Press. It is the second volume of the Pontiff’s study on Jesus; Volume 1 was released in 2007. This second book concerns the final part of Christ's life, his death and resurrection. In the book, Pope Benedict re-enacts Jesus' final hours, including his death sentence for blasphemy, then analyzes each Gospel account to explain why Jews as a whole cannot be blamed for it. Rather, Pope Benedict concludes, it was the Temple aristocracy and a few supporters of the figure Barabbas who were responsible. The pope also said it was a mistake to interpret the words reported in the Gospel, "His blood be on us and on our children," as a blood curse against the Jews. Referring to the conversation with Pontius Pilate, the Pontiff noted that Jesus "defines as the essence of his kingship witness to the truth." He continued, "If Jesus bases his concept of kingship and kingdom on truth as the fundamental category, then it is entirely understandable that the pragmatic Pilate asks him: 'What is truth?'" Drawing from scholastic philosophy and the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the definition of truth as "conformity between the intellect and reality." He explained that if a man's intellect reflects a thing as it is in itself, then he has found truth: but only a small fragment of reality -- not truth in its grandeur and integrity. Thus, the Pontiff stated, God is "truth itself, the sovereign and first truth." Further bearing witness to the truth means giving priority to God and to his will over against the interests of the world and its powers. "In Christ," the Pope affirmed, "God entered the world and set up the criterion of truth in the midst of history."