Question:
Are we as Catholics allowed to feel pity for Pontius Pilate or even pray for his soul? It seems he suffered from terrible weakness, not necessarily evil. Or am I misunderstanding?
Answer:
The Church doesn’t pronounce definitively on the level of Pontius Pilate’s guilt in handing Jesus over to be crucified, and Pilate arguably suffered from weakness in doing so (see Matt. 27:15-26).
In any event, Catholics are certainly free to pray for the repose of Pilate’s soul.
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