How should we view the despair of Judas?
Kiss of Judas (1304–06), fresco by Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy Since we're near the end of the Holy Week, I thought to share my reflections on the Good Friday, with a special focus on Judas and the controversial topic of suicide. Recently, we have witnessed a tendency of rehabilitating Judas' suicide, and suicide in general, even by certain theologians in the past and present. Through the analysis of this topic, I see the necessity of saying a few words on the nature of sin, hope, and mercy. In our secularized era, the aforementioned concepts might sound as outdated or even meaningless. So, we should start by questioning the definition of sin. According to the Compendium of the Catholic Catechism, sin is defined as the deliberate action which separates one from God.[1] So basically, sin is a 'sui generis' apostasy, and understanding the pain of despair, our weak human nature, it is natural to show a kind of compassion. Because at a certain moment of our