The word of a priest.

Only connoisseurs and those who follow the opinions of public figures in the scope of work: analysts, journalists, image makers, and, naturally, politicians themselves.

Politics is the art of the possible, but every public citizen should follow some rules of conscience. It shouldn’t be how I once read it in one aphorism: „He only had one principle. Have no policies.“ 

Every person has an opinion on things they know or are concerned about. A simple person’s perspective doesn’t change much, but if at least hundreds, if not thousands, of people listen to you and you directly influence them, you can do a lot by subscribing to an attitude.

Telling public opinion is not always easy. Even important people are either afraid or calculating. Fear is natural and can be an explanation for silence. Calculation is worse because it smacks of calculation. I will say nothing or little and vaguely to avoid losing some advantage I have agreed on or am still planning to decide on. 

If I have a critical attitude towards public affairs and know that I would probably be the target of massive hate or mockery after it is published, I will think carefully about what I will do.

Sometimes, people with power give in to public pressure. They won’t do anything and hurt someone. A typical example is the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. 

The Gospel narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion on Palm Sunday is part of the liturgy commemorating his solemn entry into Jerusalem. Crowds called him to glory and threw green branches under his feet. It was a triumphant arrival, but in just a few hours, it turned into a struggle for a bare life.

When the Jewish council decided to hand Jesus over to the occupiers to be disposed of for good in the spirit of the thesis that one person should die for the people than for the whole nation to suffer; Jesus quickly found himself in a carousel of accusations and suffering that led him to Golgotha, where the crucified man died. Before this happened, he, as accused of sedition, appeared before a representative of the Romans. 

The Romans, who had an empire then, were extremely sensitive to disloyalty and severely suppressed any revolts. Pilate listened to Jesus and considered him a person with interesting philosophical attitudes but a harmless dreamer, so he saw no reason to punish him with death.

In the end, he pragmatically preferred his good, his career, and supposed peace with the Jewish establishment at the expense of a popular, but still wandering teacher with strange opinions, against whom the leading men of his community stood out. 

Part of Pilate’s attitude will forever remain when he symbolically washes his hands and grins, adding that he has nothing to do with this bloodthirsty charade. 

Pilate didn’t think of just one thing. He did not directly say that Jesus was guilty, but allowed fanatical members of the council and the manipulated crowd to treat him that way. He did not stand up for the truth and thus gave space to the lie that led to the death of Jesus. 

Alibis are not just harmless squints at inconveniences. They can be motivated by fear and can be understood to some extent. 

But Pilate was a powerful man. The Jews might have caused him some difficulties in Rome, but with his abilities and connections, he would have ended up playing it. His alibi was motivated by the sheer calculation of being handsome in front of everyone.

But it can’t. Anyone who has power in any area of life must always be aware that not everyone will agree with them, and their opinions can cause adverse reactions. 

One of the basic characteristics of a mature personality is inner truthfulness and the effort to transform it into public attitudes. It is not always entirely possible, and a lot depends on the chosen way of expression and the setting of the listeners. However, it is an evangelical necessity: to bear witness to the truth. 

However, it would be a big misunderstanding and distortion if we understood only religious truths by this necessity and treated other spheres of life in a style that we do not have enough information. 

No one has all the information, but everyone can have enough to act according to their conscience. And if he doesn’t have it, he should look it up. Look, for example, at the choice of party or movement during parliamentary elections. Whoever has power will find it at any time. 

If someone said today that Pilate sent Jesus to his death because the poor man did not have enough information, it would be funny. He had them. If he didn’t, he could ask. In the end, he decided to be an alibi himself. Immerse yourself in a lie and introduce others to it. 

Maybe he didn’t have the worst intention, he just wanted to improve his situation. He may have had higher ambitions than just being a viceroy in some backcountry, and he didn’t want to have stains of complaints on his curriculum vitae in front of his boss. 

He didn’t think of just one thing. Furthermore, he did not directly say that Jesus was guilty, but allowed fanatical members of the council and the manipulated crowd to treat him that way. He did not stand up for the truth and thus gave space to the lie that led to the death of Jesus. 

Therefore, let’s not be alibis. Let’s stand up for the truth, with respect and humility to her and to the people to whom we want to say it. Let’s not look for excuses, even at the cost of losing the human possibilities and favor of the audience. All the more so if we have responsibility and can mislead even one person. Otherwise, we will end up like Pilate.