NEWS
In
a new Apostolic Letter entitled With
A Fathers Heart, Pope Francis
describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient
father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working
father, a father in the shadows. The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed
Pope Pius IXs declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.
To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis
has proclaimed a special Year Of Saint Joseph, beginning on the Solemnity of
the Immaculate Conception 2020 and extending to the same feast in 2021. The
Holy Father wrote With
A Fathers Heart against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic which,
he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of 'ordinary' people
who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day.
In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, 'the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet
and hidden presence', who nonetheless played 'an incomparable role in the history
of salvation'.