HONG KONG (SE): The Amoris Laetitia Family Year in the Diocese of Hong Kong was inaugurated on March 19, the solemnity of St. Joseph, with a Mass concelebrated by John Cardinal Tong Hon, apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, Monsignor Javier Herrera Corona, Monsignor Alvaro Lzurieta y Sea, Father Joseph Liu Ah-lun and other priests of the diocese, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road.
Five years after the publication of Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetita (The Joy of Love), the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, announced the Amoris Laetitia Family Year.
The special year will conclude on 26 June 2022, during the Tenth World Meeting of Families in Rome.
During the livestreamed Mass, celebrated in Chinese and English, the cardinal urged people to follow the example of St. Joseph who protected the Holy Family with faith, love and hope. He encouraged people to ask for the intercession the patron saint of the Universal Church—a father with holy virtues as outlined by Pope Francis in his apostolic letter, Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart)—so that we might follow God’s will by following his example.
In his homily, Cardinal Tong said St. Joseph acted on with faith, love and hope, shown by the saint shouldering the responsibility of bringing up the son of God, protecting the Holy Family from different challenges and persevering until the end of his life.
Citing Patris Corde, the cardinal said St. Joseph “reveals his qualities and sentiments in many ways: he is a loving and kind father, who obeys the Lord and accepts his will, and is courageous to take up responsibility and working hard for the family. In Joseph, we can see the face of our merciful God.”
The cardinal also spoke of the deep devotion to St. Joseph among Chinese Catholics. As early as the 17th century, the Chinese Church was already dedicated to the care of St. Joseph.
…St. Joseph ‘reveals his qualities and sentiments in many ways: he is a loving and kind father, who obeys the Lord and accepts his will, and is courageous to take up responsibility and working hard for the family. In Joseph, we can see the face of our merciful God.’
Cardinal Tong
In the 18th century, the East Church (Wangfujing Catholic Church) in Beijing was built and dedicated to St. Joseph and decorated with the artwork of well-known Jesuit painter, Lang Shining (Giuseppe Castiglioni).
“The reasons why St. Joseph has been loved by Chinese faithful can be viewed from three perspectives: firstly, Joseph’s humility, obedience, simplicity and industriousness are also the qualities of traditional Chinese culture. Secondly, Joseph’s quietness reflects a kind of Taoist thinking—contemplation instead of activity. Lastly, he wholeheartedly took care of Mary and Jesus in accordance with God’s will, and the Holy Family lives as an example for all,” the cardinal said.
Cardinal Tong invited people to pray for families around the world, those affected by displacement, emigration, war, persecution, poverty as well as separation due to imprisonment or work.
“Finally, we pray for those affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 and ask the Lord to give them peace, and pray for the medical workers and caregivers who generously offer their care for the patients. May God reward them abundantly!” The cardinal concluded.
Before the Mass ended, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, coordinator of the diocesan task force for parish renewal set up in early February, shared the diocese’s plans to celebrate the Year of St. Joseph and the global Year of the Family.
Father Chan said that Cardinal Tong appointed members to the task force in early February to formulate plans to celebrate the two special years and simultaneously promote parish renewal.
He said that, beginning in April, the task force will have monthly reflections on the seven virtues of St. Joseph, a beloved, tender and loving, obedient, accepting, creatively courageous, working father who remained in the shadow of the heavenly Father, as pointed out by Pope Francis, to encourage people to live out these virtues every day.
The diocese also called on people to ask the intercession of St. Joseph for the people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic every Wednesday.
The task force invited parish priests and councils to come up with plans to promote the living out of the virtues of St. Joseph outlined in Patris Corde and Amoris Laetitia according to their particular circumstances.
To celebrate the global Year of the Family, the task force plans to discuss an issue in a father’s daily life through videos, workshops or talks on the fifth of every month. It will also release an online game on the 12th of every month to promote the virtues of St. Joseph.
Formation courses for fathers and male Catholics will also be launched in April.
