Why is Pontius Pilate singled out in the Creed?

[katedonohue]

My husband is an agnostic who attends Mass with me regularly. He’s offended that only Pontius Pilate is called out in the section of the Creed that begins with “suffered under…” He wonders why Herod, Caiaphas, Annas, and others are not included in this. I have no explanation. Can you provide one for me, please?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Naming Pontius Pilate in the Creed places the events of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection within a specific time in history and demonstrates the historical reality of the events of Christ’s life. As an analogy, someone who wanted to p(name removed by moderator)oint the date of the Christian theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s execution might say that he “suffered under Adolf Hitler.” You might recommend to your husband that he read the book linked to below, in which Pope Benedict XVI makes a similar point about the importance of Luke’s careful dating of events in his Gospel by naming those leaders who were reigning at the time of Christ’s birth and the beginning of his public ministry (cf. Luke 2:1-2, 3:1-2).

Recommended reading:

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI