Patris corde: Apostolic Letter on the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church

This is the text of the Apostolic Letter issued by Pope Francis on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Catholic Church made by Blessed Pius IX, on December 8, 1870. After Mary, Mother of God, no saint occupies as much space in the papal Magisterium as Joseph, her spouse.

Pope Francis' reflections take up the message contained in the few verses of the Gospels about Saint Joseph to further highlight his central role in the history of Salvatio...