Questions & Answers

St. Joseph the Carpenter

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › St. Mary and the Saints › St. Joseph the Carpenter

The question

St Mary is the mother of God, but we cannot say Joseph is the father of Jesus Christ, can we?

The answer

St. Joseph was a father to our Lord Jesus Christ, but he did not father him, meaning he was not the Lord's biological father. This is the immaculate conception that St. Mary conceived the Lord Jesus without the seed of man. Thus, the Lord's physical traits are from St. Mary alone.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Was St. Joseph the Carpenter married and had children prior to his marriage to St. Mary?
Why had St. Matthew and St. Luke mentioned the genealogy of St. Joseph; although St. Joseph had no biological relationship with our Lord Jesus? Could your Grace please…
Why did St. Mary refer to St. Joseph as Jesus' father when she herself knew through the angel's annunciation that he was not? Could you please explain our Lord's answer…

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1968 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.