Vatican City, Mar 19, 2012 / 13:03 pm
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph, his namesake, by delivering a sermon on the saint's virtues.
Pope Benedict XVI, who was baptized Joseph Ratzinger, offered his thanks for all the prayers said on his behalf during his Sunday Angelus address on March 18.
“Dear friends,” he said, addressing the pilgrims who gathered in St. Peter's Square for the noon prayer, “tomorrow we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph. I sincerely thank all those who have remembered me in prayer in the days before my name day.”
St. Joseph’s feast day is normally a holiday at the Vatican because he is the patron saint of the Church. But during the reign of Pope Benedict the holiday has an additional significance, given his name.