Fathers’ day address: Archbishop says “Dads are more than providers”

Fathers are more than just providers, said Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López of Monterrey, president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference, in a Father’s Day address, citing Saint Joseph as an example.

In his message “Being fathers following the example of Saint Joseph,” the archbishop emphasized that “as sons and daughters, we shouldn’t see our fathers as simple material providers that help us get through day to day living.”

“Dads are more than providers, they are true companions in life, forgers of encouragement and hope that help us to fully develop,” the prelate emphasized.

Although “in some families, the presence of the father is nil or distant, we have the option of turning to the experience and wisdom of our grandfather, who can also accompany us, giving clarity to the moments in which darkness seems to prevail,” Archbishop Cabrera continued.

In this regard, he said, “Pope Francis encourages fathers to have Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, as an intercessor and a role model, who fully fulfilled his mission as a father, taking up his commitment to accompany Jesus and the Virgin Mary, giving them everything they needed.”

“Nowadays, says the pope, many people suffer from different circumstances, lack of work, the consequences of the pandemic, despair, among many other things,” the archbishop noted.

Therefore, the pope “invites us to have recourse to the encouragement, help and inspiration of Saint Joseph, who with his luminous testimony in dark times, presents us with the guiding light to follow to face any need in life.”

The Archbishop of Monterrey asked those who don’t have a father “not to feel abandoned, God never leaves any of his children.”

“I’m sure that He himself will place beside you someone who can play an important role in your life and will accompany you in the realization of all your projects and dreams,” the president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference said.