In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph the patron saint of the universal Church. One hundred fifty years later, Pope Francis declared a special year dedicated to the patron saint, reflecting on his somewhat unknown but significant figure.
POPE FRANCIS
“God entrusted him with the most precious treasures — Jesus and Mary — and he faithfully responded in full with faith, courage, with tenderness, with a father’s heart.”
Fr. Julio Valladares Miranda belongs to the order of Jesus the Divine Worker. He says Saint Joseph’s life and decision before God’s will can be an example for today’s society.
JULIO VALLADARES MIRANDA
Order of Jesus the Divine Worker
“We can learn to read our history with optimism, but not with the ‘false’ optimism of prefabricated phrases; rather, from our own experience, our own history, as wise individuals, which is what Pope Francis remembers with great devotion. Recognizing that St. Joseph, in the face of history, does not place himself as a passive being. He is a being of action, a being who seeks how to respond to God in the most challenging moments.”
Pope Francis wants the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (With a Father’s heart) to be the guide for this year. In it, he explains that “the two evangelists who made his figure evident, Matthew and Luke, refer very little, but enough to understand what kind of father he was” and the mission entrusted to him.
JULIO VALLADARES MIRANDA
Order of Jesus the Divine Worker
“We can all see each other in St. Joseph, and we can imitate him. The pope asks us to be men and women of courage who want to be protagonists in our history.”
The pope calls to explore the biblical figure of Joseph. Even in the Old Testament, there was another man named Joseph that the Egyptians turned to look for food during the drought.
JULIO VALLADARES MIRANDA
Order of Jesus the Divine Worker
“The pope also shows how he has some biblical ties to the Old Testament by recalling Joseph’s figure from the Book of Genesis, this man to which one must turn. One must also go to him to find answers, words of encouragement, and to be able to respond even to present-day needs.”
Amid the current crisis, the pope wants St. Joseph’s love, tenderness, obedience, acceptance, courage, work ethic, and discreet service to be characteristics that guide the construction of a post-pandemic society.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: Christian Campos
