It is with difficulty that the unknown bishop stood up in the central nave of Saint Peter’s Basilica. His right hip was sore even after eleven years, while his fractured left ankle never healed properly. Time spent in communist prisons in Yugoslavia, mainly in his beloved Herzegovina, left a lasting impact on his health: especially the moment that almost became lethal – being hit by a train while transferred from one prison to another. The once tortured bishop now faced his brother bishops. “The Church… has owed this… holy patriarch…”, started the bishop, “that raised… the divine Saviour… and now protects the Church… as her heavenly protector. Let the name… of saint Joseph… be entered in Ordinarium Missae… in Canonem Missae… in the future liturgical… reform.” Starting and stopping, in broken Latin, the bishop delivered a speech on why there should be more devotion to Saint Joseph in future of the Church, calling for him to be included in the Canon. By the end of the speech, the bishop began to repeat himself and wander. Murmurs began. He was speaking over the ten-minute mark when the presiding of the session almost rudely interrupted him with “Conclude your holy and eloquent speech. I am sure we are all very devoted to Saint Joseph.” Following it was a laughter from some of the attendees. The bishop sat back down in complete silence, feeling defeated.
Three days later the Secretary of State took word. “Decretum Urbis et Orbis: Novis hisce temporibus…“. In the ancient tongue of the of the Church, the Secretary announced the Holy Father has decided, without the consultation with Council fathers, for the Church to include in the First Eucharistic prayer the name of Saint Joseph, the Virgin’s Spouse, thus giving him the highest liturgical reverence. The news came like a lighting from a clear blue sky, although everyone agreed with it. What was it that prompted the Successor of Saint Peter to make such a decision and so quickly? A devotee of Saint Joseph himself, the old Pope was following the speech of the martyred Herzegovinian bishop. When he was rudely interrupted and laughed at the Pope started to weep. It was then that he decided that he will make his wish come true.
Although the details are rumours, the main part of the story above is true. On 10 November 1962 the bishop of Mostar delivered a speech about De anno liturgico (On the liturgical year). Among other things, Petar Čule talked to his fellow bishops about how the celebration of Saint Joseph is intimately connected to the celebration of our redemption and that, after Mary, he is the first of the saints. In the official gazette of the diocese, bishop Čule testified on how the event happened. The writer of the official news started by denying the New York Time story of 19 November 1962 where author George Dugan says that the Pope’s long-time friendship with the Bishop and cutting off his speech by other bishops made him change the Canon quickly. “It is excluded that the Pope would on private motives intervene in the Canon. The event is completely different. The Holy Father received a number of petitions from all over the world for the name of Saint Joseph to be inserted in the Canon. The Pope did not want to do this on his own, but wanted to hear the opinion of the Council first. When that happened, the Pope, himself a devotee of Saint Joseph, happily accepted the proposal…”
The writer then brings us a Vatican radio interview of Bishop Čule dated 2 December 1962. “It is an ancient wish of numerous devotees of Saint Joseph for his name to be added into the Canon, the most solemn part of the mass. That was expected from Pius X, a big devotee of Saint Joseph. But no one wanted to intervene to such honourable and ancient institution like Canon without a council. The current Holy Father, who is also an exceptional devotee of Saint Joseph, as soon as he found out the wish of the council fathers, immediately granted that wish, so that the first decree of the Council (or the Holy Father) includes putting Saint Joseph’s name into the Canon.” The Bishop continued to explain the reasons why such decision is just. “Saint Joseph was with the Blessed Virgin the first of humans to kneel before the Son of God when he was born in a stable. It is only fitted for him to be the first, with the Most Blessed Virgin, when the heavenly Church together with the earthly one kneels before Jesus on the altar in the Eucharist. More so because Saint Joseph fed and clothed that body.” Asked why Saint Joseph was included with other martyrs even if he was not a martyr, Bishop replied: “You can be a martyr without spilling your blood. The Blessed Virgin did not die a martyred death either. Yet the Church considers her not only a martyr but the Queen of Martyrs since she suffered under the Cross more than any martyr. The life of Saint Joseph was a continuous martyrdom. Let us remember the exile by Herod, the flight through desert, the exile in Egypt and constant fear that the bloody Herod’s son Archelaus could destroy the whole Nazareth family. That incessant life in exile and fear, is it not a worse martyrdom than to suddenly violently die?”
Bishop Peter spoke from experience. It could be that his martyrdom under the communist regime was what made Pope John to act on his words swiftly. It may be that like the apostles once, bishop Peter and pope John understood each other and were friends and brothers in Christ. It could be that the mutual exceptional devotion to the Silent Pillar that strongly supports the Church is what caused the Good Pope to order that the “blessed Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin” be invoked in the celebration of mass from 8 December 1962. Whatever it was, we are forever grateful to a martyred Bishop and an old Pope for recognising Saint Joseph as second of our most fervent advocates in Heaven. And to Pope Francis for including Saint Joseph in the rest of the Eucharistic prayers.
On this feast day of Saint Joseph of the year 2023 let us give thanks to silent shepherds that make the holy remnant of the Church. Those who want to speak up, but end up being silenced. And I hope Saint Joseph, together with his Son’s two servants (bishop) Peter and (pope) John, is keeping an eye on the Church.
Saint Joseph, Protector of Holy Church, pray for us!
Featured image: Saint John’s Seminary Boston/Unsplash
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