Fr. Paul D. Scalia: In Fairness to the Pharisees

By Fr. Paul D. Scalia, The Catholic Thing, Oct. 25, 2020

Fr. Paul Scalia is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Va, where he serves as Episcopal Vicar for Clergy. His new book is That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion.

In the popular mind, the Pharisees come across as the quintessential villains in the hero’s story. They are always stalking our Lord, conspiring against him, trying to entrap him. If the Gospel were a western, they would wear the black hats. They seem to be the ultimate bad guys.

But that’s not really fair; the Sadducees were far worse. The Pharisees at least had some theological substance. The Sadducee did not believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, or angels. Such a truncated theology leads inevitably to a worldly way of thinking and acting. Money and power easily edge out devotion.

Thus it was that the Sadducees were the aristocratic class and the power brokers for Israel. They ran the Temple and negotiated things with the Romans. In that role, they grew comfortable with cutting corners on matters of faith for the sake of wealth and temporal power. Nor is this type of religious person unfamiliar to us. In fact, he often runs for public office.  ….

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