Is the traditional Good Friday oration for the Jewish people factually hurtful? Attempting to offer an apology for “pro perfidis Judaeis”

Abstract

The paper is an attempt at defending the traditional Good Friday oration for the Jewish people and to present its theological correctness. This was achieved due to analysing the crucial fragments and juxtaposing them with the Jewish prayer called “Birkat ha-Minim”. The study was / presented in four parts. The first one juxtaposes the versions of the Good Friday orations for the Jews. The next one presents Birkat ha-Minim, followed by an explanation of the key fragments of the traditional prayer for the Jews. Finally, the Good Friday oration was juxtaposed with Birkat ha-Minim. The analysis led to a conclusion that the Good Friday oration for the Jews was inspired by the New Testament texts. It was not created to offend the members of the chosen people but to show their tragic situation in which they found themselves as a result of rejecting Christ. A thorough analysis of the prayer leaves no doubt that its purpose is save the Jewish people, that is to say, to offer them the greatest possible goodness, which cannot be regarded as a manifestation of intolerance or anti-Semitism.