According to Catholicism, why was Jesus angry with the money-changers at the Temple?

This was touched upon by Pope Francis in his Angelus Address at St. Peter's Square on March 4th 2018, given before and after the mid-day Angelus prayers. He said:

He did this with a gesture, helping himself with a whip of cords and overturned the tables, saying, "you shall not make my Father's house, a house of trade" (John 2:13-25)

This decisive action carried out close to Passover made a great impression and aroused the hostility of the religious authorities and of all those that felt themselves threatened in their economic interests.

But how should we interpret this? It certainly wasn't a violent action. So true is this that it didn't provoke the intervention of the guardians of public order - the police.

No! But it was intended as a typical action of prophets, who in the name of God, often denounced excesses and abuses.

Pope Francis goes on to say:

To interpret Jesus' gesture of cleansing God's house his disciples made use of a Biblical text, treated in Psalm 69: 'Zeal for thy house has consumed me.' (v. 9) ...

... [It is] Zeal for his Father that will lead him to the Cross: His is the zeal of love that leads to the sacrifice of Himself, not the false love that presumes to serve God through violence.

That is, violence is never an end, but always a means; unlike Nietzsche, where violence, that is Power, is always an end; and according to him, the only worthwhile end. Although this is called by the Nietzschean crowd, the aristocratic creed - Plato was an aristocrat and thought it an abomination.

... These words help us to reject the danger of making our own souls, which is God's abode, a market place, living in constant search for our own benefit instead of in generous love and solidarity.

This teaching of Jesus is timely not only for ecclesial communities, but also for individuals, for civil communities, and for society.

In fact, the temptation to take advantage of good activities, sometimes dutiful, is common, to cultivate private, if not outright unlawful activities. It is a grave danger, especially when it instrumentalists God Himself and the worship due to Him, or the service to man, His image. That is why Jesus used 'strong' ways that time, to shake us from this mortal danger.

Idols are prohibited in the presence of God, in Exodus 20:3-5. This is why Jesus removes the money changers in Matthew 21:12. The cleansing of the Temple was about removal of Idols (coins with Caesar’s image).

If Caesar’s face was on a coin, the coin became an idol since Caesar was considered to be a diefied being.

Caesar the Idol / Diety

On this day in 42 BC Julius Caesar was declared a god by the Roman Senate. It was the first time in history that a Roman citizen was officially deified. Interestingly, Caesar was officially declared a god only after his death (he was assassinated approximately 14-and-a-half months earlier). As a Roman deity, Caesar was given the title Divus Julius (The Divine Julius). A temple to him was built next to the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum), adjacent to the famous Temple of Vesta. Later, temples in his honor were built in other cities of the Roman Empire. The first Roman emperor – Octavian Augustus – was the adopted son of Julius Caesar and was allowed to carry the title of Divi Filius (Son of the Divine).

The Denarius of Caesar

"As the first living person to be depicted on Roman currency, the issuing of these coins also reflected Julius Caesar’s unique (and perilous) status as the first Roman leader to be declared “dictator in perpetuity,” which contributed to his assassination only a few months later."

[On the Denarius from 44 BC] : "Caesar is depicted with a veil over his head which refers to his role as pontifex maximus, the high priest of the Roman religion.

Roman Mythology of Caesar's silver Denarius

Julius Caesar was born into a prominent Roman family, one that counted the founder of Rome and the goddess Venus as ancestors. A silver denarius of 47 to 46 B.C. celebrates Caesar’s illustrious ancestry from the goddess Venus & the mythological [founder of Rome] Aeneas carrying his father away from burning Troy. - As one version of Rome’s foundation mythology was recorded, Aeneas went on to found Rome and the Gens Julia, the family of Julius Caesar.

In the rejection of roman mythology and observance of Exodus 20:3-5, Jesus of Nazareth taught his disciples the following : "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Mark 12:17

I don't think the issue is that the money-changers were short-changing people or taking a commission. The words "den of robbers" are used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke in order to show a parallel with Jeremiah 7:11, not because Jesus had suddenly gotten really mad about white collar crime. (John doesn't even use the phrase.)

Experts have given all kinds of analyses of this incident, but it seems to me that its meaning is fairly clear if you just look at the main thrust of the story that is being told. The gospels have a major anti-materialist and anti-commercial message. Jesus acted like an itinerant faith healer of a type that was familiar to people of his time and place, but one thing that set him apart from such healers was that he didn't accept money for his cures. He had his followers hold all their property in common and told them not to worry about money because the end of the world was coming. He said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven. So one main, clear thrust of the gospels is that Jesus is on the side of the poor, is against the rich, and disapproves of money and commerce, especially when they distract from the more important spiritual events going on.

He also spells out pretty clearly in the woes of the Pharisees why he doesn't like the people running the temple. They're entitled fat cats, corrupt and hypocritical. The "den of robbers" phrase, which quotes Yahweh, compares these religious authorities to the people who ran the temple in Jeremiah's time, sacrificing children and worshiping idols. Jesus disapproves of the fact that people are focused on the gold ornaments in the temple. Matthew 23:16: "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’"

When Jesus overturns the tables of the money-changers, he's asserting that the temple has been profaned and corrupted by commerce and by the rich ruling class.

We know from history and from scripture that there were 3 special "pilgrimage festivals" in the year, when Jews all had to come to Jerusalem. Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Booths/Sukkot, and this is important because it answers your question as to the role of the money changers. Much like the countries in Europe, you can travel a few hours and be in three different countries, with a totally different language, culture and currency. Jews living in another region would have to get their money changed into local currency, as well as the Roman state tax. I never understood the importance of Kantors (money changers) until I lived in Central Europe. In addition to the Jews from other regions, there were also foreigners [Gentiles] and this leads us to the The other, most important reason for Jesus's righteous anger toward the money changers is given to us in 2 places in scripture, but it is often missed. It wasn't WHAT the money changers did that angered Christ, it was WHERE they did it. I also agree that these money changers charged extra commissions, and were cheating the people, but that's more like the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the cake.

The money changers were both legal and necessary.

Remember the Pharisees were experts in finding 'loopholes' in the law, so that they would technically be following the legal letter of the law, but really, in their hearts they were breaking the law. So we have to look outside the gospels to find the clue we need.

It's found in Isaiah 56:7 and Christ actually quotes part of this passage in one gospel account. It's so fascinating. The chapter heading for Isaiah 56 is "Salvation for Foreigners".

I will bring them to my Holy Mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations." - Isaiah 56:7

The story of Jesus cleansing the temple is in several gospels, but only in the Gospel of Mark, we find the other missing piece that solves the riddle. It's in Mark 11:17. In this passage, Christ actually quotes the passage from Isaiah . "And he was teaching them and saying to them, 'Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a den of robbers."

The temple in Jerusalem had three main sections [besides the holy place, only for priests]. There was the outer court, which was the court of the Gentiles, the court of women, and the court for Jewish males. The money changers set up their tables like a giant Flea Market in the court of the Gentiles - blocking the nations from worshiping like God intended.

It wasn't WHAT the money changers did that angered Christ, it was WHERE they did it. The Pharisees didn't even realize it, but this act of cleansing the temple actually fulfilled a prophecy about the Messiah, written hundreds of years before Christ. Zeal for Your house [his Father's house] will consume Me. Psalm 69:9