The first statues of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus grouped in Nativity scenes began appearing in the churches and chapels of Naples. Artists and craftsmen created miniature Nativity scenes for private homes.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Protestant Reformation brought new impetus to the image of Joseph as a guardian. “The Protestants rejected celibacy and their clergy were free to marry. There was an emphasis on the goodness of marriage…. Joseph was a Catholic response to that,” says Thomas Worcester, a Jesuit and history professor at Fordham University. “The Church said, ‘We are in favor of the family. The Holy Family is our model.’ Well, before it was not. A Catholic response to the Protestant Revolution was attention to the Holy Family and the idea that marriage is good.”
Read Full Article »