Continuing his catechesis on St. Joseph, Pope Francis highlighted the Patriarch’s fatherhood and praised couples who become parents through adoption.

Newsroom (05/01/2022 3:40 PM, Gaudium Press) Today, Wednesday, January 5, Pope Francis continued his catecheses on St. Joseph during the papal audience.

The Holy Father explained that St. Joseph is the foster father, that is, the adoptive father of Jesus, and as such, he had the right to give his Son a name. Now, in the Old Testament, “naming someone or something meant asserting one’s authority over what was named,” the Pontiff noted. And he added: “Joseph already knows that, for Mary’s son, a name had already been prepared by God – Jesus’ name is given to him by his true father, God –’ Jesus’, which means ‘the Lord saves.'”

An orphan society

Francis expressed that this aspect of St. Joseph’s fatherhood is essential, especially in a society of notorious orphanhood. And he recalled a passage from the apostolic exhortation Patris Corde:

“Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person” 

Adoption: a high form of love

The Pope then praised couples who decide to adopt, saying that adoption is “is among the highest forms of love.“

And he encouraged adoption by saying that “we should not be afraid to choose the path of adoption, to take the ‘risk’ of welcoming children.”

Next, the Pope regretted the demographic winter, referring to the declining birth rate, exemplifying that pets are taking the place of children. He concluded his thoughts by stating that “this denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us, it takes away our humanity.”(FM)

With files from Vatican News.

Compiled by Gustavo Kralj