Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church: “Quamquam pluries” and his patronage
Quién declaró a San José como patrón de la Iglesia fue el beato Pío IX, el 8 de diciembre de 1870, mediante la Constitución Apostólica Quemadmodum Deus de la Sagrada Congregación de Ritos, que lo proclamó solemnemente «Patrón de la Iglesia Católica». Diecinueve años después, León XIII proporcionó a esta declaración su fundamento teológico en la Encíclica Quamquam pluries, del 15 de agosto de 1889. La razón del patrocinio, enseñará el Papa, no es un privilegio arbitrario: surge del hecho de que José sea esposo de la Madre de Dios y padre putativo de Jesús, jefe de aquella casa de Nazaret que contenía en sí a la Iglesia naciente. Este artículo examina ambos documentos y los sitúa en el contexto de la josefología de este portal.
1870: La declaración de Pío IX en la Constitución Apostólica Quemadmodum Deus
El contexto era dramático. El 20 de septiembre de 1870, las tropas italianas habían tomado Roma, poniendo fin a los Estados Pontificios, y el Concilio Vaticano I había sido suspendido. En esta hora oscura, Pío IX, atendiendo a los votos de los obispos, ordenó publicar en la fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepción la Constitución Apostólica Quemadmodum Deus (ASS 6, pp. 193-194).
La Constitución comienza con la tipología del patriarca de Egipto: al igual que Dios estableció a José del Antiguo Testamento sobre toda la tierra de Egipto para guardar el trigo del pueblo, así, al enviar a su Hijo unigénito al mundo, «elegió a otro José, del cual el primero fue tipo» – y lo hizo señor y príncipe de su casa y guardián de sus tesoros principales (ASS 6, p. 193). Sigue el dispositivo solemne:
«Nuestro Santísimo Señor y Papa Pío IX, conmovido por la reciente y dolorosa condición de los acontecimientos, para confiar a sí mismo y a todos los fieles bajo el poderoso patrocinio del Santo Patriarca José, quiso cumplir los votos de los obispos y declaró solemnemente a San José como Patrón de la Iglesia Católica» (Quemadmodum Deus, ASS 6, pp. 193-194).
Traducción literal: el Santísimo Señor Nuestro el Papa Pío IX, movido por la recentísima y dolorosa condición de los acontecimientos, para confiar a sí mismo y a todos los fieles al poderoso patrocinio del Santo Patriarca José, quiso cumplir los votos de los obispos y declaró solemnemente a San José como Patrón de la Iglesia Católica. El mismo decreto elevó la fiesta del 19 de marzo al rito doble de primera clase. Más de un siglo después, Juan Pablo II resumió el gesto:
En tiempos difíciles para la Iglesia, Pío IX, deseando confiarla bajo la protección especial de San José, lo declaró «Patrón de la Iglesia Católica». (Juan Pablo II, Redemptoris custos, n. 28)
La Encíclica de León XIII: el fundamento teológico del patrocinio
La declaración de 1870 fue un acto jurídico-litúrgico breve. Corrió a cargo de León XIII, en la Encíclica Quamquam pluries (15 de agosto de 1889), transformarla en doctrina. Escrita para pedir que durante el mes de octubre se uniera al rosario una oración a San José, la Encíclica formula con precisión las razones del patrocinio. No existe versión portuguesa en el sitio de la Santa Sede, por lo que citamos la versión oficial española:
“The reasons why Saint Joseph should be considered a special patron of the Church, and why the Church expects much from his intercession and patronage, arise primarily from the fact that he is the husband of Mary and putative father of Jesus (Quamquam pluries, n. 3).Therefore, the grounds for his patronage stem from him being Mary’s husband and Jesus’ putative father: ‘From these sources has flowed his dignity, sanctity, and glory’ (n. 3). The crucial step is the ecclesiological argument. Joseph was ‘the legitimate and natural guardian, head, and defender of the Holy Family’ (n. 3), and Leo XIII concludes:‘Now, the divine home which Joseph directed with the authority of a father contained within itself the just-born Church’ (Quamquam pluries, n. 3).The divine home that Joseph governed with parental authority contained within itself the nascent Church. Hence, the Pope continues, it is fitting and most worthy of the blessed Joseph, as he once holy guarded the family of Nazareth, so now to protect and defend with his celestial patronage the Body of Christ (n. 3). Patronage is not an honorary title added from without; it is the continuation and extension of the office that Joseph historically exercised in Nazareth. The head of the Holy Family becomes the protector of the Mystical Body because the Church is the extension of that household. Leo XIII attached to his encyclical a prayer to Saint Joseph, which he commanded to be recited alongside the Rosary throughout the month of October each year, and which still today supplicates: ‘Assist us graciously from on high in this struggle against the power of darkness’ (Prayer to Saint Joseph, appended to the encyclical).”“Why is Joseph a patron? Husband of Mary and head of the Holy Family.”“Subsequent theology explicated Leo’s logic in two inseparable titles. The first is Mary’s marriage: ‘Joseph’s marriage to Mary forms the legal basis for his paternity. God chose Joseph as Mary’s husband to ensure the protection of fatherhood to Jesus’ (Redemptoris custos, n. 7). The second is Saint Joseph’s real, human paternity, which arises from this marriage and is not merely apparent or substitute, but true and proper paternity (cf. Redemptoris custos, n. 21).”“The Gospel condenses this mission into a single verse. As the opening of John Paul II’s exhortation reminds us, called to protect the Redeemer, ‘Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife’ (Mt 1:24, cited in Redemptoris custos, n. 1). This silent, obedient action, which the same document describes as ‘pure obedience of faith’ (Redemptoris custos, n. 4), forms the biblical basis for the Church’s trust: he who guarded the Head can guard the Body.”“From this unique dignity, Leo XIII accorded to Joseph in his translation of Redemptoris custos:”**Quote:**He stands out among all others by his sublime dignity, since by divine decree he was the guardian, and in the eyes of men, the father, of the Son of God. From this it necessarily follows that the Word of God would be subject to Joseph, obey him, and pay him that honor and reverence due from children to their parents. (Leão XIII, Quamquam pluries, cited in Redemptoris custos, n. 8)**Further Text:**The encyclical also refers to the Old Testament typology: “Joseph of ancient times, son of the patriarch Jacob, was a type of Saint Joseph” (n. 4). The pharaoh told the hungry people, according to the New Vulgate Gn 41:55, *“Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”* This typology, present in ancient tradition and collected by the Magisterium, is not merely devotional ornament: the dreams, the descent into Egypt, and the salvation of the people all prefigure the mission of Joseph in the New Testament, and the 1870 decree builds upon this interpretation.**Patronage Today:**The contemporary Magisterium has confirmed and deepened the patronage of Saint Joseph. Exactly one hundred years after Quamquam pluries, John Paul II published the apostolic exhortation Redemptoris custos (August 15, 1989), which presents Joseph as the guardian of the Redeemer and “a singular master in the service of Christ’s salvific mission” for all states of life in the Church (n. 32). On the 150th anniversary of Pius IX’s declaration, Francis published the apostolic letter Patris corde (December 8, 2020) and proclaimed a year dedicated to the saint. In it, he highlights Joseph’s unique place: “After Mary, the Mother of God, no other Saint occupies as prominent a place in the pontifical Magisterium as Joseph, her husband” (Patris corde, Prologue). He describes the patronage in an existential key:> Everyone can find in Saint Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, the man with a discreet and hidden daily presence – an intercessor, support, and guide in times of difficulty. (Francis, Patris corde, Prologue)**Update to the Litany:**A direct result of this anniversary was the update of the litany of Saint Joseph (May 1, 2021): the Congregation for Divine Worship added seven invocations drawn from pontifical teaching, namely *Custos Redemptoris*, *Serve Christi*, *Minister salutis*, *Fulcimen in difficultatibus*, and *Patrone exsulum, afflictorum, pauperum*. (Letter to the Conferences of Bishops, 5/1/2021).O sentido permanente do patrocínio de São José resume-se em três aspectos. José intercede pela Igreja, implorando sua “intervenção nas situações de angústia”, como declarado no decreto de 1870. Ele protege a Igreja, continuando o papel que desempenhou na Nazaré com o Corpo de Cristo na história. E ele ensina através de sua obediência fiel, servindo de modelo para casais, pais, trabalhadores, contemplativos e apóstolos (Redemptoris custos, n. 32). Para aprofundar este tema, consulte Quem foi São José? e Consagração a São José.
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