ST JOSEPH, husband of Mary and Protector of the Church

1. St. Joseph, husband of Mary and Protector of the Church.
     This is the feast for today according to the monastic gradual. Joseph is, first,  described as the husband of Mary. And he is, also Protector of the Church.
     Let us take the first description; that Joseph is the husband of Mary. True they were betrothed and later on they were formally married. But they never consummated their marriage before, during and after the conception of Christ. So what do we have here?…. a clear case of a marriage that is ‘ratum sed non-consummatum,’ i.e. a true marriage but not consummated. 
     Canon Law states that a marriage that is ‘ratum et consummatum,’ i.e. ratified and consummated is indissoluble. Ratified means that the marriage was between two consenting persons. Consummated means they had used their rightful privilege for  the marital act for the procreation of children. There is no way this marriage can be annulled. 
     But a marriage that is ‘ratum sed non consummatum,’ i.e. ratified but not consummated can be annulled; for the reason that it is not consummated. Let us not dwell deeper into this complex issue because we do not wish to discuss annulments here. We just wish to see the canonical status of St. Joseph and Mary. 
     Canonically speaking Joseph’s marriage to Mary was ‘ratum sed non consummatum,’ i.e. they were married in the Jewish ceremony but as Scriptures tells us, their marriage was never consummated before, during or after the Birth of Christ; because both of them remained virgins all their lives. 
     As the canon lawyer would say, their marriage was not consummated and, therefore, there was no marriage in the first place. Thus their marriage can be annulled. Never mind the annulment part; look at the fact that there was no marriage in the first place. If there was no marriage then Joseph is not really the husband of Mary. So why are we celebrating this feast? We should remove this part from the Liturgical calendar.

2. The truth of the matter. The ‘ratum sed non consummatum’ marriage of Joseph and Mary was valid and licit thus it was indissoluble. What should we accept as teachings of the Church? That the ‘ratum sed non consummatum  marriage of Joseph and Mary was indissoluble. Or that there is no marriage in the ‘ratum sed non consummatum’ marriage of Joseph and Mary; thus their marriage can be annuled? If we follow how the Magisterium decide on doctrines, the Church would follow the former. And it did. The Church considered marriages that are ‘ratum sed non consummatium’ as indissoluble for this simple reason. When two Catholic marry their primary obligation is  Charity that binds them into One. And for absolutely no reason may they separate. This was the rule for married couples; it was the rule to maintain the Oneness of the Catholic Church. It is destructive to the  Church that people may separate for what ever reason.
     So why do we have a canonical rule allowing marriages like Joseph and Mary, i.e. ‘ratum sed non consummatum.’ As Moses wrote; because of your hard headedness. It is difficult for hard headed people to go to heaven.

3. The title ‘protector of the Church is more appropiate for the Lenten season.
     We have mentioned the fact that the Church had a pattern of history that had occurred in the past, several times within the history of men. And finally at the end of time. And the hermeneutics of continuity lend Catholics the expertise to compare the continuity of events from the past through the centuries until the end of time. 
     We first see Joseph protecting the Holy Family, the early church from its enemies; the civil state under Herod and the church state under the Pharisees. 
     The feast of St. Joseph is in the middle of Lent, just before Holy Week. Why? In preparation to show the need to protect the Church in Jesus Christ with the similar attach by the Roman state and the priestly state on Holy Week. This role of protector was first pre-figured by Joseph protecting Mary and Jesus during their escape to Egypt. In Egypt it was not yet His Time. On Good Friday it was His time. And it is, also His time today, year 2000.
     As we have seen in the past post as described by St. Bonaventure, the Church which is the Mystical Body of Christ will undergo Good Friday again today. This is called eschatology. So, both the Secular state and the ecclesiastical state will crucify the Church; the secular state which was headed by Herod will be headed, today, by all the present head of states, from Obama to Aquino. While the ecclesiastical state will be headed by all the bishops, from Cardinal Kasper to Bishop Villegas. 
     The incident during the Christmas escape to Egypt, going to  Good Friday and up to the present shows the hermeneutics of continuity. We are just wondering if Pope Francis would be represented by the High Priest Caiaphas or the Apostolic Bishop traitor Judas. The Fathers believe he is referred by the latter.
     Joseph protected the Church on Christmas during their trip to Egypt, Mary and the apostles tried vainly to protect Christ on Good Friday. But on Good Friday, it was His time; so there was nothing the protectors could do but pray and be resigned. Today, like St. Joseph there are protectors of the Catholic Church. But like Mary and the Apostles they know it is His time, His Parousia, so they cannot do anything than to pray contemplatively and unite themselves to the crucifixion of Christ. 
     
4. Does Christ need protection. 
     Of course not. When Joseph protected Mary and Jesus, the incident is just emphasizing Christians, in the person of Joseph, are obliged to render protection to the Church to pass their test of Faith from God. Keeping in mind that we are all under test in this world. 
     On Good Friday, all of the disciples of Christ were, likewise being tested in their Faith. So, though, it was impossible to protect Christ that day, Mary and the Apostles were obliged to protect Christ in the form of contemplative prayer. 
     Today, too, as the world progressed towards the approach of the last times, every Christian is undergoing the test of Faith. So they are expected to lift up their arms in defense of the Church.  Like Good Friday, the attacks on the Church will come from both the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. The civil heads make up of all the nations of the world, while the ecclesiastical authorities will be made up of bishops and cardinals. But the enigma remains. Who is represented by Caiaphas and Judas? It seems an anti-Pope is the personification of Caiaphas and Judas. Pope Francis is under suspicion. 

5. St. Joseph is the protector of the Church. To pass the test Christians should raise their voices in protecting the Church though it seems the Mystical Body will still be mystically crucified. The effort to defend though seemingly useless will help the Christian pass the test and be worthy of eternal life. Again, the problem remains. Which is the Church that must be defended? Remember, the four visible signs of the true Church from the Nicene Creed. Like the apostles on Good Friday……the Church will be hiding in prayer.