Redemptoris custos

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The Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris custos of Pope John Paul II on the figure and mission of St. Joseph in the life of Christ and the Church was published on August 15, 1989. The circular is published on the 100th anniversary of the encyclical Quamquam pluries by Pope Leo XIII.

Guido Reni : Saint Joseph, 1640–1642 (typical representation of the Baroque period)

Contents overview

  • introduction
  • I. The representation of St. Joseph in the Gospel
  • II. The keeper of God's mystery
  • The ministry of fatherhood
  • The census
  • The birth in Bethlehem
  • The circumcision
  • The naming
  • The presentation of Jesus in the temple
  • The Flight into Egypt
  • Jesus in the temple
  • Raising and educating Jesus of Nazareth
  • III. The Just Man - The Consort of Mary
  • IV. Work as an expression of love
  • V. The primacy of the inner life
  • VI. Patron of the Church of our time
  • Remarks

To the general understanding of Joseph

In this circular, John Paul II deepens and strengthens the statements of Quamquam pluris and goes into great detail on the position of St. Joseph in the Church. He establishes the divine connection to Mary, which he had already recognized in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater . So he writes here:

“The first guardian of this divine mystery is Joseph, along with Mary. Together with Mary - and also in relation to Mary - he has, from the very beginning, participated in this decisive event of God's self-revelation in Christ. If we now have the reports of both evangelists , Matthew and Luke , in mind, we can also say that Joseph is the first to share in the faith of the Blessed Mother and that he thereby supports his wife in believing in the divine proclamation. It is also he who was first set by God on the "pilgrimage of faith", on which Mary - especially since Golgotha and Pentecost - has perfectly preceded (cf. Lumen Gentium No. 63 and Dei Verbum No. 2) "

Outstanding importance

The Pope emphasizes the outstanding importance of St. Joseph, which is established with the marriage of Mary, because marriage is the highest communion and friendship with which by its nature communion of property is connected. From this it follows that God, when he gave Joseph the virgin as a husband, not only gave him to her as a companion, witness of her virginity and protector of her honor, but also so that he could share in her outstanding greatness through the marriage contract (cf. Quamquam pluris)

Patronage

Like his predecessors, John Paul II also described the special patronage and honors of St. Joseph: Sixtus IV introduced the feast of St. Joseph, Pius IX. appointed him patron saint of the Catholic Church , in 1955 by Pius XII. May 1st also set as the feast day "Joseph the Worker" and Johannes XXIII. had chosen Joseph as the patron saint of the Second Vatican Council .

100th years of "Quamquam pluris"

Finally, John Paul II reminds us that Pope Leo XIII. who urged the Catholic faithful with the encyclical Quamquam pluris a hundred years ago to

“For the protection of St. Joseph, the Patron of the whole Church, to pray. Since then - as I mentioned at the beginning - the Church has begged the protection of Saint due to the sacred love bond that bound him to the Immaculate Virgin and Mother of God. Joseph and recommends all of your worries to him, also with regard to the threats that lie across the entire human family. "

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