Angelus News | March 15, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 10

weakest, the least important.”
A pope who believes gestures are stronger than words,
Francis has tried to live this ideal of Joseph opening his
arms to protect God’s people. Think of Francis embracing
men and women disfigured by illness, for instance, reaching
out to migrants, giving the homeless VIP access to the
Sistine Chapel, and assigning prisoners a place of honor
during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Francis has also praised Joseph as a figure who accepted
God’s will that he raise Jesus to manhood, doing so “in
silence, without judging, without speaking poorly of others,
and without gossiping” — all qualities the pontiff frequently
extols.
“[Saint Joseph] silently let [Jesus] grow,” Francis said
during an impromptu morning homily on Dec. 18, 2018.
“This idea could help us immensely, we who by nature always
want to stick our noses in everything, especially in the
lives of others. … And we start gossiping, talking. … But
he let him grow, silently watching over him and helping
him.”
No doubt, Francis also draws consolation from Joseph in
moments when his papacy seems an uphill climb, with internal
lacerations as well as scandals involving sex, money,
and often both.
In the past 12 months alone, the Church had to face what
the pope himself has called “an unprecedented crisis” due
to the wrongdoings of some of its members, either because
they abused minors or because they covered up for the
crime.
Though the roots of the problem are complex and impossible
to sum up in a quick phrase, one cause and one consequence
are evident: In its flawed imitation of Joseph, the
Church failed to protect children and vulnerable adults.
During that first homily, Francis said that “whenever human
beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever
we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters,
the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened.”
He also said that in “every period of history there are
‘Herods’ ” who “wreak havoc and mar the countenance of
men and women.” In facing those Herods, this devotee of
Joseph will no doubt call upon the saint’s protection and
assistance early and often.
Inés San Martín is an Argentinian journalist and Rome
bureau chief for Crux. She is a frequent contributor to the
print edition of Angelus and, through an exclusive content-sharing
arrangement with Crux, provides news and
analysis to Angelus News.
“Joseph’s Dream,” by Toros Roslin, 1262.
WALTERS ART MUSEUM/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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