Padre Pio
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Pio of Pietrelcina (born Francesco Forgione; 25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968), widely known as Padre Pio (
Pio joined the Capuchins at fifteen and spent most of his religious life in the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo. He was marked by stigmata in 1918, leading to several investigations by the Holy See. Despite temporary sanctions imposed by the Vatican, his reputation kept increasing during his life, attracting many followers to San Giovanni Rotondo. He was the founder of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, a hospital built near the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo.[citation needed]
After his death, his devotion continued to spread among believers all over the world. He was beatified on 2 May 1999 and canonized on 16 June 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His relics are exposed in the sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, next to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, now a major pilgrimage site.[3]
Life
Early life
Francesco Forgione was born on 25 May 1887 to Grazio Mario Forgione (1860–1946) and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio (1859–1929), in
Pietrelcina was a town where feast days of saints were celebrated throughout the year, and the Forgione family was deeply religious. They attended
According to the diary of Father Agostino da San Marco (who was later his spiritual director in San Marco in Lamis) the young Francesco was afflicted with a number of illnesses. At six he suffered from severe gastroenteritis. At ten he caught typhoid fever.
As a youth, Francesco reported that he had experienced heavenly visions and ecstasies. In 1897, after he had completed three years at the public school, Francesco was said to have been drawn to the life of a friar after listening to a young Capuchin who was in the countryside seeking donations. When Francesco expressed his desire to his parents, they made a trip to Morcone, a community 13 miles (21 km) north of Pietrelcina, to find out if their son was eligible to enter the Order. The friars there informed them that they were interested in accepting Francesco into their community, but he needed to be better educated.
Francesco's father went to the
Priesthood
Commencing his seven-year study for the priesthood, Pio traveled to the friary of
In June 1905, Pio's health worsened to such an extent that his superiors decided to send him to a mountain convent, in the hope that the change of air would do him good. This had little impact, however, and doctors advised that he return home. Even there his health failed to improve. Despite this, he still made his solemn
In August 1910, Pio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Paolo Schinosi at the Cathedral of Benevento. Four days later, he offered his first Mass at the parish church of Our Lady of the Angels.
His health being precarious, he was permitted to remain with his family in his hometown of Pietrelcina while still retaining the Capuchin habit.[9] He stayed in Pietrelcina until 1916, due to his health and the need to take care of his family when his father and brother briefly emigrated to the United States.[10] During these years, Padre Pio frequently wrote mystic letters to his spiritual directors, Father Benedetto and Father Agostino, two friars from the Capuchin monastery of San Marco in Lamis.[10][11]
Arrival at San Giovanni Rotondo
On 4 September 1916, Pio was ordered to return to his community life. He moved to an agricultural community, Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary, located in the Gargano Mountains in San Giovanni Rotondo in the Province of Foggia. At that time the community numbered seven friars. He remained at San Giovanni Rotondo until his death in 1968, except for a period of military service. In the priesthood, Padre Pio was known to perform a number of successful conversions to Catholicism.[citation needed]
Pio was devoted to rosary meditations. He compared weekly confession to dusting a room weekly, and recommended the performance of meditation and self-examination twice daily: once in the morning, as preparation to face the day, and once again in the evening, as retrospection. His advice on the practical application of theology he often summed up in his now famous quote: "pray, hope, and don't worry".[citation needed] He directed Christians to recognize God in all things and to desire above all things to do the will of God.
Many people who heard of him traveled to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him and confess to him, ask for help, or have their curiosity satisfied. Pio's mother died at the village around the convent in 1928. Later, in 1938, Pio had his elderly father Grazio live with him. His brother Michele also moved in. Pio's father lived in a little house outside the convent, until his death in 1946.[12]
First World War and aftermath
When World War I started, four friars from this community were selected for military service in the Italian army. At that time, Pio was a teacher at the seminary and a spiritual director. When one more friar was called into service, Pio was put in charge of the community. On 15 November 1915, he was drafted and on December 6, assigned to the 10th Medical Corps in Naples. Due to poor health, he was continually discharged and recalled until on 16 March 1918, he was declared unfit for service and discharged completely.[citation needed]
In September 1918, Pio began to display permanent wounds on his hands and feet, known as stigmata in reference to the Christ's wounds.[13] In the next months, his reputation of sainthood grew rapidly in the region of San Giovanni Rotondo, attracting hundreds of believers at the monastery coming each day to see him.[13]
People who had started rebuilding their lives after the war began to see in Pio a symbol of hope. Those close to him attest that he began to manifest several spiritual gifts, including the gifts of healing,
Pio increasingly became well known among the wider populace. He became a spiritual director, and developed five rules for spiritual growth: weekly confession, daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of conscience.
La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza hospital
By 1925, Pio had converted an old convent building into a medical clinic with a few beds intended primarily for people in extreme need.[15] In 1940, a committee was set-up to establish a bigger clinic[16] and donations started to be made. Construction began in 1947.[15]
According to Luzzatto, the bulk of the money for financing the hospital came directly from Emanuele Brunatto, a keen follower of Pio, who had made his fortune in the
Lodovico Montini, head of
Death
Pio died on 23 September 1968 at the age of 81. His health deteriorated in the 1960s, but he continued his spiritual works.
Early in the morning of 23 September 1968, Pio made his last
A few days before dying the stigmata had disappeared. Examining Padre Pio's body, the doctor who was present at his deathbed observed that the wounds of the stigmata were completely healed, without any trace or scar.[31] His body was placed in coffin in the church of the monastery to allow pilgrims to pay their respects. The funeral ceremony was held on 26 September, with an estimated 100,000 people attending.[32][33] After a funeral procession in San Giovanni Rotondo and the funeral mass, the body was buried in the crypt in the Church of Our Lady of Grace.[32]
Supernatural phenomena
Pio was said to have had mystical gifts such as reading
Stigmata
Pio wrote in his letters that, early in his priesthood, he experienced bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in locations indicative of the (not yet visible) stigmata. In a letter to his spiritual companion and confessor Father Agostino Gemelli, dated 21 March 1912, Pio wrote of his devotion to the mystical body of Christ and the intuition that he would bear the stigmata. Luzzatto claims that in this letter Pio uses unrecognized passages from a book by the stigmatized mystic Gemma Galgani.[10]
In a 1915 letter, Agostino asked Pio specific questions, including: when did he first experience visions, whether he was stigmatic, and whether he felt the pains of the
On 20 September 1918, while hearing confessions, Pio said to have had a reappearance of the physical occurrence of the stigmata. His stigmatism was reported to have continued for fifty years, until the end of his life. The blood flowing from the stigmata purportedly smelled of perfume or flowers.[34] Pio conveyed to Agostino that the pain remained and was more acute on specific days and under certain circumstances. Though he said he would have preferred to suffer in secret, by early 1919, news that he was a stigmatic had begun to spread. Pio often wore red mittens or black coverings on his hands and feet, saying that he was embarrassed by the marks.[22]
Agostino Gemelli claimed that the wounds were consistent with those that soldiers had inflicted on themselves "by the use of a caustic substance".[35] while Amico Bignami considered that Pio's wounds might be a skin necrosis that was hindered from healing through the use of iodine tincture or similar chemicals.[36]
Once made public, the wounds were studied by a number of physicians, some hired by the Vatican as part of an independent investigation. Some claimed that the wounds were unexplainable and never seem to have become infected.
Transverberation
In August 1918, a few weeks before reportedly receiving the stigmata, Pio described a mystical experience during which he felt being pierced and burnt spiritually and physically. According to Pio, this mystical experience began on 5 August and ended on 7 August. Padre Benedetto, his spiritual director, interpreted this phenomenon as a
Bilocation
Pio was believed by his followers to have the gift of bilocation, the ability to be in two places at the same time. When bishop Raffaele Rossi asked him about bilocation as part of a Vatican inquiry, Pio replied: "I don't know how it is or the nature of this phenomenon—and I certainly don't give it much thought—but it did happen to me to be in the presence of this or that person, to be in this or that place; I do not know whether my mind was transported there, or what I saw was some sort of representation of the place or the person; I do not know whether I was there with my body or without it."[47][48]
Healing
In the 1999 book Padre Pio: The Wonder Worker, a segment by Irish priest Malachy Gerard Carroll describes the story of Gemma de Giorgi, a Sicilian girl whose blindness was believed to have been cured during a visit to Pio. Gemma, who was brought to San Giovanni Rotondo in 1947 by her grandmother, was born without pupils. During her trip to see Pio, the little girl began to see objects, including a steamboat and the sea. Gemma's grandmother did not believe the child had been healed. After Gemma forgot to ask Pio for
According to the bishop of Volterra, Raffaele Rossi, in charge of investigating Pio: "Of the alleged healings, many are unconfirmed or non-existent. In Padre Pio's correspondence, however, there are some credible declarations that attribute miracles to his intercession. But without medical confirmation it is difficult to reach a conclusion, and the issue remains open."[49]
Prophecy
In 1947, 27-year old Father Karol Józef Wojtyła (later
Others
Rossi describes in Pio a "very intense and pleasant fragrance, similar to the scent of the violet", and concludes that he was unable to determine the origin of the scent.[53] Pio replied that he had intellectual visions seen through the eyes of the intellect,[54] accounts of diabolical assaults and harassment against him,[55] malicious visions under human shape and beastly shape,[56] and Pio confirmed to Rossi: "A very few times I happened to feel inside me with clarity someone's fault, or sin, or virtue, of people of whom I had some knowledge, at least generally".[57]
Investigations by the Vatican
The Vatican initially imposed severe sanctions on Pio in the 1920s to reduce publicity about him: he was forbidden from saying Mass in public, blessing people, answering letters, showing his stigmata publicly, and communicating with Padre Benedetto, his spiritual director.
The church authorities decided that Pio be relocated to another convent in northern Italy.[59] The local people threatened to riot, and the Vatican left him where he was. A second plan for removal was also changed.[60] Nevertheless, from 1921 to 1922 he was prevented from publicly performing his priestly duties, such as hearing confessions and saying Mass.[61] From 1924 to 1931, the Holy See made statements denying that the events in Pio's life were due to any divine cause.
Luigi Romanelli, medical examination from 1919
A large number of doctors visited Pio to verify whether the stigmata were real. The first to study his wounds was Luigi Romanelli, chief physician of the civil hospital of Barletta, by order of the provincial father superior, on May 15 and 16, 1919. In his report, among other things he wrote: "The lesions on his hands are covered with a membrane that is reddish-brown in color, without any bleeding, swelling, or inflammation of the surrounding tissue. I am convinced without a doubt that the wounds are not just superficial. When I press together my thumb on the palm of his hand and my index finger on the back of his hand, I clearly perceive that a vacuum exists between them."[62]
Amico Bignami, medical examination from 1919
Two months later, on July 26, pathologist Amico Bignami arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo. Bignami conducted a medical examination of Pio's wounds in 1919 and launched several hypotheses, among which was that the wounds were a skin necrosis that was hindered from healing by chemicals such as iodine tincture.[36]
Giorgio Festa, medical examinations 1919 and 1920
Festa was a physician who examined Pio in 1919 and 1920. He was obviously impressed by the fragrance of the stigmata.[63] Festa, as Bignami before, had described the side wound as cruciform.[64] In his report to the Holy Office of 1925, Festa arrived at a benevolent verdict and attacked Gemelli's critical view of Pio's stigmata, with theological arguments playing the lead role.
Agostino Gemelli, psychiatric examination 1920 and medical examination 1925
In 1920, father Agostino Gemelli – a physician and psychologist – was commissioned by Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val to visit Pio and carry out a clinical examination of the wounds. "For this reason, despite having gone to Gargano Peninsula on his own initiative, without being asked by any ecclesiastical authority, Gemelli did not hesitate to make his private letter to the Holy Office a kind of unofficial report on Padre Pio."[65] Gemelli wanted to express himself fully on the matter and wanted to meet the friar. Pio showed a closed attitude towards the new investigator: he refused the visit requesting the written authorization of the Holy Office. Father Gemelli's protests that he believed he had the right to subject the friar to a medical examination of the stigmata were in vain. The friar, supported by his superiors, conditioned the examination to a permit requested through the hierarchy, without taking into account the credentials of Father Agostino Gemelli. Therefore, Gemelli left the convent, irritated and offended for not being allowed to examine the stigmata. He came to the conclusion that Francesco Forgione was "a man of restricted field of knowledge, low psychic energy, monotonous ideas, little volition."[66] Gemelli critically judged Pio: "The case is one of suggestion unconsciously planted by Father Benedetto in the weak mind of Padre Pio, producing those characteristic manifestations of psittacism that are intrinsic to the hysteric mind."[66]
On behalf of the Holy Office, Gemelli re-examined Pio in 1925, writing a report in April 1926. This time Pio allowed him to see the wounds. Gemelli saw as its cause the use of a corrosive substance Pio had applied himself to these wounds. The Jesuit Festa had previously tried to question Gemelli's comments on stigmata in general.[35] Gemelli responded to this criticism in his report and resorted to responding to his knowledge of self-inflicted wounds. He therefore clarified his statements about the nature of Pio's wounds: "Anyone with experience in forensic medicine, and above all in variety by sores and wounds that self-destructive soldiers were presented during the war, can have no doubt that these were wounds of erosion caused by the use of a caustic substance. The base of the sore and its shape are in every way similar to the sores observed in soldiers who procured them with chemical means."[35]
Once again, Gemelli judged Pio's mental abilities as limited: "He [Pio] is the ideal partner with whom former Minister Provincial Father Benedetto is able to create an incubus-succubus pair [...] He is a good priest: calm, quiet, meek, more because of the mental deficiency than out of virtue. A poor soul, able to repeat a few stereotypical religious phrases, a poor, sick man who has learned his lesson from his master, Father Benedetto."[67] Gemelli wrote in 1940 and later several times to the Holy Office on what he considered to be unjustified claims to the sanctity of Pio.[68]
Raffaele Rossi, First Apostolic Visitation of 1921
The Bishop of Volterra,
In his notes, which have been put directly on paper, and the final report, Rossi describes the shape and appearance of the wounds. Those in the hands were "very visible". Those in the feet were "disappearing. What could be observed resembled two dot-shaped elevations [literally: 'buttons'] with whiter and gentler skin."[45] As for the chest, it says: "In his side, the sign is represented by a triangular spot, the color of red wine, and by other smaller ones, not anymore, then, by a sort of upside-down cross such as the one seen in 1919 by Dr. Bignami and Dr. Festa."[70] Rossi also made a request to the Holy Office, a chronicle to consult with Pio, who was assembling Father Benedetto, or at least to have the material he has collected so that one day he could write about the life of Pio.[71]
According to Rossi, "Of the alleged healings, many are unconfirmed or non-existent. In Padre Pio's correspondence, however, there are some credible declarations that attribute miracles to his intercession. But without medical confirmation it is difficult to reach a conclusion, and the issue remains open."[72] According to Lucia Ceci, Rossi could not find any of the attributed miracles.[73]
When Rossi asked him about bilocation, Pio replied: "I don't know how it is or the nature of this phenomenon—and I certainly don't give it much thought—but it did happen to me to be in the presence of this or that person, to be in this or that place; I do not know whether my mind was transported there, or what I saw was some sort of representation of the place or the person; I do not know whether I was there with my body or without it."[47][48]
John XXIII, investigations and tape recordings, after 1958
Pope
Carlo Maccari, Second Apostolic Visitation of 1960
Father Carlo Maccari was Secretary-General of the Diocese of Rome and met Pio nine times altogether.[77] There was reciprocal mistrust between Pio and Maccari, who wrote in his diary: "Reticence, narrowness of mind, lies - these are the weapons he uses to evade my questions ... Overall impression: pitiful."[78] Maccari demanded Father Pio's omission to practice kisses after the confession for the lay sisters. Maccari noted in his report that Pio had inadequate religious education. He works a lot for a man of his age. He is not an ascetic and has many connections to the outside world. In general, there is too much mixing of the "sacred" and the "all too human".[79] In his report, Maccari noted by name the women who revealed at which time to have been the lover of Pio, but without assessing the veracity of these statements.[79] Maccari focused on assessing the fanaticism of Pio's social environment, describing it as "religious conceptions that oscillate between superstition and magic."[80] Maccari called Pio's supporters "a vast and dangerous organization".[81] Pio never had his own supporters advised to moderation. Maccari wondered how God could allow "so much deception".[82]
Maccari finished his critical report with a list of recommendations for further dealing with Father Pio. The brothers of Santa Maria delle Grazie should gradually be relocated, a new abbot should come from outside the region. No one should be allowed to confess to Pio more than once a month. The hospital was to be given new statutes to sever the responsibilities of the medical and spiritual "healing" capuchins.[82] Following Maccari's Apostolic Visitation, John XXIII noted in his diary that he sees Father Pio as a "straw idol" (idolo di stoppa).[83]
Rehabilitation
In 1933, Pope Pius XI ordered a reversal of the ban on Pio's public celebration of Mass, arguing, "I have not been badly disposed toward Padre Pio, but I have been badly informed." In 1934, the friar was again allowed to hear confessions. He was also given honorary permission to preach despite never having taken the exam for the preaching license. Pope Pius XII, who assumed the papacy in 1939, even encouraged devotees to visit Pio.
Finally, in the mid-1960s Pope Paul VI (pope from 1963 to 1978) dismissed all accusations against Padre Pio.[22][60][84]
Personal views
Religion
Pio was a strong proponent of weekly confession, describing it as "the soul's bath". Pio established five rules for spiritual growth, which included weekly confession, daily communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and frequent examination of one's conscience." He taught his spiritual followers that suffering is a special sign of God's love, for it makes you "resemble His divine son in His anguish in the desert and on the hill of Calvary."
Pio held a harsh attitude towards vain women, stating: "Women who satisfy their vanity in their dress can never put on the life of Jesus Christ; moreover they even lose the ornaments of their soul as soon as this idol enters into their heart."[85]
Pio also held to strict rules concerning modesty, and refused confession to women who did not wear skirts that extended a minimum of 8 inches (20 cm) past the knees.[86] He posted a notice at the entrance of the Church of St. Mary of All Graces in San Giovanni Rotondo, reading: "The Church is the house of God. It is forbidden for men to enter with bare arms or in shorts. It is forbidden for women to enter in trousers, without a veil on their head, in short clothing, low necklines, sleeveless or immodest dresses."[87]
Although Pio wasn't satisfied with some changes following the Second Vatican Council, in particular changes with the liturgy, he emphasized obedience to the church. On one occasion, Pio met with Suor Pia, his sister and a former nun who left her order following the council. Suor Pia was a traditionalist and was upset at the changes made by her liberal superiors, causing her to leave her convent at the age of seventy. Pio burst into tears and snapped at her over this decision, telling his sister "They are wrong and you are right, but you still must obey. You must return." She refused, causing him to weep uncontrollably and continue praying for her.
Following the publication of Humanae vitae, Pio was distraught over criticism aimed at the encyclical. He wrote to Pope Paul VI over this, affirming his obedience to the Church's teaching on birth control and reassuring Paul VI in his time of need. Pio informed the pope that he would offer up his daily prayers and suffering for the pontiff, due to Paul VI's defense of "eternal truth, which never changes with the passing of years."
As Pio grew older, he became increasingly distrustful of television. After the
Pio became exceedingly pessimistic about the state of the world towards the end of his life. When asked what awaited the world in the future, Pio replied "Can't you see the world is catching on fire?" In his last three years, he began to withdraw further from life, feeling unworthy and unsure of his salvation. Pio frequently asked his superior, "Give me the obedience to die."
Politics
Padre Pio was not especially concerned with politics, but voted in Italian elections and voiced his opinions on various issues. He initially felt that
In 1948, in a letter written to Alcide De Gasperi, Pio noted his support for the Christian Democracy party. Pio's involvement is attributed to having helped the party win elections, with Italian communists hating Pio for it. One communist spokesman grumbled that Pio's presence at the voting polls "took votes away from us".
Following the Christian Democracy's political victories in elections, Pio was continually consulted by political Italian leaders including Aldo Moro, Antonio Segni, Mariano Rumor, and Giovanni Leone. Pio received letters requesting his prayers throughout his life, including one from Alfonso XIII in March 1923. Pio also prayed for various notable political figures, including George V.
In 1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Pio broke down in tears. When asked by another priest if he would pray for Kennedy's salvation, Pio replied, "It's not necessary. He's already in Paradise."[citation needed]
The Italian historian Sergio Luzzatto it, a specialist of the history of Italian fascism, wrote in 2011 a biography of Padre Pio in which he suggests that a "clerical-fascist mixture" developed around Padre Pio.[88] Luzzatto relates that in August 1920, on the feast of the Assumption, Pio blessed a flag for a group of local veterans who were trying to develop links with local fascists to fight against communists.[89] He also states that Pio subsequently met with Giuseppe Caradonna , a fascist politician from Foggia, and became his confessor and that of members of his militia.[90] He suggests that Caradonna mounted a "praetorian guard" around Padre Pio to prevent any attempts to remove him from the monastery and transfer him elsewhere.[91]
Posthumous veneration
Canonization
In 1982, the Holy See authorized the
Beginning in 1990, the
The mass for his beatification was celebrated on 2 May 1999 by John Paul II on St. Peter's Square in Rome, with more than 300,000 faithful attending the ceremony.[92] In his homily, John Paul II mentioned Padre Pio's stigmata and his mystical gifts:[93]
"His body, marked by the 'stigmata', showed forth the intimate bond between death and resurrection which characterizes the paschal mystery. Bl. Pio of Pietrelcina shared in the Passion with a special intensity: the unique gifts which were given to him, and the interior and mystical sufferings which accompanied them, allowed him constantly to participate in the Lord's agonies, never wavering in his sense that 'Calvary is the hill of the saints'."
After his beatification, another case of healing attributed to his intercession was examined, an Italian boy named Matteo Pio Colella who recovered from a coma[94] After further consideration of Padre Pio's virtues and ability to do good even after his death, John Paul II promulgated the decree of canonization on 28 February 2002.[9] The mass for the canonization was celebrated by John Paul II on 16 June 2002 on St. Peter's Square in Rome, with an estimated 300,000 people attending the ceremony.[95]
Pilgrimage sites
The town of San Giovanni Rotondo, where Padre Pio spent most of his life, is the main pilgrimage site dedicated to his memory. The Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, which is the church of the capuchin monastery where Padre Pio celebrated mass, has become a pilgrimage site for his followers after his death in 1968. As the number of pilgrims kept increasing over the years, the Capuchins decided to build a new shrine near the church. The construction of the shrine began in 1991 and was completed in 2004.[96] On 1 July 2004, John Paul II dedicated the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, sometimes referred as the Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church.[97] The sanctuary has a capacity of around 6,000 people and its parvis has a 30,000 capacity.[98] The relics of Padre Pio are located in the crypt of the new sanctuary and displayed for veneration by the pilgrims.
The town of Pietrelcina, where Padre Pio grew up, is another pilgrimage site which became popular among devotees. The sites which can be visited by pilgrims in Pietrelcina include Pio's family house where he was born, his room in an ancient tower in which he stayed as a friar when he was ill, the Santa Anna Church where he was baptized, the Santa Maria degli Angeli Church, where he was ordained a deacon prior to becoming a priest, and the Capuchin Church of the Holy Family. It is estimated that around two millions pilgrims come to Pietrelcina every year.[99]
Sanctuaries and places dedicated to the veneration of Padre Pio outside Italy include the Padre Pio Shrine in Santo Tomas, Batangas in the Philippines and the National Center for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
Veneration by the popes
Popes have encouraged popular devotion to Padre Pio in various ways, notably by visiting the places associated with his life and ministry. San Giovanni Rotondo, where Padre Pio spent most of his life and where his shrine is located, was visited by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Pietrelcina, Padre Pio's birthplace, was visited by Pope Francis.
Pope John Paul II had much admiration for Padre Pio even before he became Pope, when Padre Pio was still alive. In 1947, as a young priest studying in Rome, Karol Wojtyła made a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet Padre Pio in person. He returned to San Giovanni Rotondo as a cardinal, in 1974. He visited San Giovanni Rotondo again in May 1987 as Pope John Paul II, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Padre Pio's birth.[100]
On 21 June 2009, Pope Benedict XVI visited San Giovanni Rotondo as a pastoral visit. He visited the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church to venerate of the relics of Padre Pio in the crypt, celebrated mass and met with various people, including with the sick and the employees of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza.[101]
Pope Francis has also supported popular devotion to Padre Pio. During the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, he requested that Padre Pio's relics be exposed for veneration in St. Peter's Basilica from 8 to 14 February 2016 and he specially honored Padre Pio as a "saint-confessors" to inspire people to resort to the sacrament of Penance during the Jubilee.[102] On 17 March 2018, Pope Francis visited both Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio's death.[103]
Exhumation
On 3 March 2008, the body of Pio was exhumed from his crypt, forty years after his death, so that his remains could be prepared for display. A church statement described the body as being in "fair condition".
Cardinal
Pio's remains were placed in the church of Saint Pio, which is beside San Giovanni Rotondo. In April 2010 they were moved to a special golden crypt.[113]
Prayer groups
Padre Pio's prayer groups began in the 1950s when Pope Pius XII called to form groups gathering monthly to pray together.[114] Padre Pio responded to this call and encouraged his devotees to form such groups. The groups were associated to the construction of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, with a biweekly bulletin named after the hospital and published from 1949, which helped these group develop.[115] In 1951, the first statutes of the prayer groups were codified.[116] The prayer groups gathered monthly, with the agreement of the local bishop and under the guidance of a priest, to pray for the pope and for Padre Pio's ministries.[102] New statutes were formally approved by the Vatican in 1986.[115] Padre Pio's prayer groups are coordinated from their headquarters in the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza.[102]
The prayer groups kept growing during Padre Pio's life and after his death. In 1968 at Padre Pio's death, there were around 700 groups, with 68,000 members in 15 countries.[115] In 2013, there were approximately 3,300 registered groups in 60 countries, with about 75% of those groups based in Italy and 25% outside of Italy, mainly in France, Ireland and the United States.[102]
Worldwide devotion
Padre Pio has become one of the world's most popular saints.[117] There are more than 3,000 "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" worldwide, with three million members. The first St Padre Pio parish in the world was established 16 June 2002 in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada.[118] There are parishes in Vineland and Lavallette, New Jersey, and Sydney, Australia, and shrines in Buena, New Jersey, and Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines, dedicated to Padre Pio. A 2006 survey by the magazine Famiglia Cristiana found that more Italian Catholics pray to Padre Pio for intercession than to any other figure.[119]
In 2002, a few months after the canonization of Padre Pio, a new TV station was launched in Italy dedicated to his life and devotion, named Padre Pio TV. It is based at San Giovanni Rotondo and broadcasts on its own website and various internet platforms.[120]
The remains of Saint Pio were brought to the Vatican for veneration during the 2015–2016
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina was named the patron saint of civil defence volunteers, after a group of 160 petitioned the Italian Bishops' conference for this designation. The bishops forwarded the request to the Vatican, which gave its approval to the designation.[122] He is also "less officially" known as the patron saint of stress relief and the January blues", after the Catholic Enquiry Office in London proclaimed him as such. They designated the most depressing day of the year, identified as the Monday closest to January 22, as Don't Worry Be Happy Day, in honor of Padre Pio's famous advice: "Pray, hope, and don't worry."[3]
Some of Padre Pio's relics toured to Northern Ireland in 2022[123] and Scotland in 2023.[124][125]
Iconography
Padre Pio's iconography has been widely reproduced on devotional items and statues throughout Italy and the world, even before his beatification and canonization. His portrait can be seen in Italy in many churches as well as in private homes and public places, such as shops restaurants.[3][126] In religious art, he is usually depicted in his brown Capuchin habit with gloves covering his stigmata.
Statues of Padre Pio have been erected in Italy and in other countries, including in the United States, the Philippines and Malta.[127][128] In the St. Padre Pio Shrine in Landisville, New Jersey, there is a statue of Padre Pio built in and imported from Italy.[129] A statue of Pio in Messina, Sicily, attracted attention in 2002 when it supposedly wept tears of blood.[130] In Italy, near the coast of the Capraia island in the Mediterranean Sea, there is an underwater statue of Padre Pio at 40 feet (12,19 meters) deep, submerged in 1998.[131][132]
In 2021, the construction of a new sanctuary dedicated to Padre Pio started on a hill overlooking Cebu City, in the Philippines, with a 100-foot-tall statue of Padre Pio.[133] The same year a statue of Padre Pio was inaugurated in the Padre Pio Shrine in Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines.[134]
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A sculpture of Padre Pio in Serra Pedace
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A sculpture of Padre Pio in Taormina, Sicily
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Sculpture of Pio of Pietrelcina in Villa di Galceto in the province of Prato
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Statue of Padre Pio near Colonna dell'Immacolata, Palermo, Sicily
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Sculpture of Padre Pio with Jesus on the cross in Prato, Italy
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Statue of Padre Pio at the Chiesa del Crocifisso, in Giovinazzo, Italy
See also
- Padre Pio: Miracle Man
- Padre Pio (film)
- Padre Pio TV
- Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
- Victim soul
- Visions of Jesus and Mary
References
Citations
- ^ "St. Padre Pio". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- ^ a b c "Saint Pio of Pietrelcina". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- ^ a b Gerhold, Ryan (2007-02-20). "The Second St. Francis". The Angelus: 12–18.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pages not specified..
- ^ Convento Pietralcina. "La chiesetta di Sant'Anna". cappuccinipietrelcina.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-87973-673-6.
- OCLC 29908703.
- ^ a b c "Padre Pio da Pietrelcina". Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
- ^ a b c Luzzatto (2011), p. 19.
- ^ Rega (2005), pp. 19–20.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 215.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 27.
- ^ Pelletier, Joseph A. "Padre Pio, Mary, and the Rosary". Garabandal. Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ a b Brockhaus, Hannah (20 July 2018). "The hospital on a hill: Padre Pio's earthly work". Catholic News Agency. San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ a b Castelli (2011), p. 293.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), pp. 156, 205, 219.
- ISBN 9781138546301. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 219 ff.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 221 f.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), pp. 225 ff., 228.
- ^ a b c d e "Catholics: A Padre's Patience". Time. April 24, 1964. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ Marie osb, Dom Antoine (2000-04-24). "Letter on Blessed Pader Pio: Stigmata – Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist – Suffering". Retrieved 2006-09-27.
- ^ Allegri (2000), p. 241.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 252.
- ^ Allegri (2000), p. 246.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 254.
- ^ "L'ultima messa di Padre Pio". imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
The final Mass of St. Pio of Pietrelcina was celebrated in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie on September 22, 1968, the day before his death.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 255.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 256.
- ^ a b Rega (2005), p. 257.
- ^ a b Allegri (2000), p. 255.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 259.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 55, 190–191.
- ^ a b c Luzzatto (2011), p. 140.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 39.
- ISBN 978-0-87973-422-0.
- ^ "Padre Pio".
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), pp. 91, 92.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), S. 91 ff.
- ^ Dirk Schümer: Der Säurenheilige. Das katholische Italien bangt: Waren die blutenden Wunden des Wundermannes Padre Pio chemische Tricks? in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Nr. 249, 26th October 2007.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 103.
- ^ a b Castelli (2011), p. 25, 114.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 124.
- ^ a b c Castelli (2011), p. 21.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 282–283.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 102.
- ^ a b Castelli (2011), p. 32.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp.20, 100ff, 139ff.
- OCLC 36501268.
- ^ Zahn, Paula (2002-06-17). "Padre Pio Granted Sainthood". CNN. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ISBN 978-0-385-52374-5.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 25–26, 124–126.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 221.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 107.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 201.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 207.
- ^ Complete illustration of the photograph by Urte Krass: Kontrollierter Gesichtsverlust. Padre Pio und die Fotografie.(English: Controlled loss of face. Padre Pio and the Photography.’’) In: Zeitschrift für Ideengeschichte, Heft IV/2, 2010, p. 74, where Krass shows the "staged character" of this photograph and places it in an art-historical context.
- ^ "Close encounters with Padre Pio". Caccioppoli. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
- ^ a b Allen, John L. (December 28, 2001). "For all who feel put upon by the Vatican: A new patron saint of Holy Rehabilitation". National Catholic Reporter. 1 (18). Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ "Religion: The Stigmatist". Time. December 19, 1949. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ Allegri (2000), pp. 77–78.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 139.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 20, 44, 49ff..
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 43.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 59.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 141.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 259.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 20, 28, 67.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 22f.
- ^ Castelli (2011), p. 28.
- ^ Castelli (2011), pp. 20, 100ff., 139ff..
- ^ Ceci (2016), p. 114.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 270.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p=271.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 271.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 272.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 273.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 274.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 275.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 276.
- ^ a b Luzzatto (2011), p. 277.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 278.
- ^ "Fifty years ago Italy's most famous modern saint was being treated like a criminal". Catholic Herald. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Fr. Jean, OFMcap (May 1999). "Padre Pio: on spirituality, Vatican II and the Novus Ordo Missae". The Angelus.
- ^ Evinger, Amanda (12 July 2018). "Embrace the Gift of Modesty". National Catholic Register.
- OCLC 760977608.
- ^ Müller-Meiningen, Julius (2010-05-19). "Padre Pio - Holy charlatan". sueddeutsche.de. Süddeutsche Zeitung.
But while Italy argues about Padre Pio and the acid, Luzzatto's really important theses are about something different: For example, the pious Father openly supported the reviving fascist movement around 1920 and at that time a clerical-fascist mixture around Padre Pio arose.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 68.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), pp. 85, 89.
- ^ Luzzatto (2011), p. 85.
- ^ Agnew, Paddy (1999-05-03). "300,000 attend beatification of Padre Pio". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Beatification of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Homily of His Holiness John Paul II". Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
- ^ McCann, Eamonn (2007-10-25). "The other side of miraculous monk Padre Pio". Belfast Telegraph.
- ^ Holley, David (2002-06-17). "Beloved Pio Becomes a Saint". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Acocella, Alfonso. "Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church (1991-2004) in San Giovanni Rotondo". architetturadipietra.it. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ Hooper, John (2004-07-02). "Monumental church dedicated to controversial saint Padre Pio". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ "Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church, San Giovanni Rotondo". arquitecturaviva.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ Mróz, Franciszek. "On the footprints of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina". researchgate.net. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ "The friendship between Saint John Paul II, and Saint Pio of Pietrelcina". Saint Pio Foundation. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Pastoral Visit of His Holiness Benedict XVI to San Giovanni Rotondo". vatican.va. Vatican. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Christopher Stawski (2017). "Prayer In Context: A Micro Sociological Analysis of Religious Practice". University of Pennsylvania: 98–111.
- ^ "Pastoral Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Pietrelcina And To San Giovanni Rotondo, on the 50th Anniversary of the Saint's death". vatican.va. Vatican. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Italy exhumes revered monk's body". BBC Online. 3 March 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
- ^ "St. Padre Pio's Body Exhumed". Zenit. Archived from the original on 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- ^ Moore, Malcolm (25 April 2008). "Padre Pio pilgrims flock to see saint's body". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph.
- ^ Urte Krass: Kontrollierter Gesichtsverlust. Padre Pio und die Fotografie. In: Zeitschrift für Ideengeschichte, Heft IV/2 (2010), S. 95 f.
- ^ "Faithful to be able to venerate exhumed remains of Padre Pio". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- ^ "Faithful await display of Catholic mystic's body".
- ^ "Thousands in Italy flock to see exhumed saint Padre Pio". Stars and Stripes.
- ^ "Mystic monk is exhumed second time". Archived from the original on 26 April 2008.
- ^ "Corpse of mystic monk moves the crowd". Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ "San Pio traslato nella "cripta d'oro" Processione tra un mare di fedeli - Corriere del Mezzogiorno". corrieredelmezzogiorno.corriere.it.
- ^ Allegri (2000), p. 270.
- ^ a b c Rega (2005), p. 223.
- ^ Rega (2005), p. 224.
- ^ Peter Jan Margry, 'Merchandising and Sanctity: the invasive cult of Padre Pio', in: Journal of Modern Italian Studies 7 (2002) pp. 88–115
- ^ St Padre Pio Parish. "Our Church – Saint Padre Pio". stpp.church. Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada.
Padre Pio Canonized – June 16, 2002; Parish Established – June 16, 2002
- ^ "Padre Pio's body goes on display - World Faith- msnbc.com". April 24, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24.
- ^ "Padre Pio TV goes on air". BBC News. 2002-02-11.
- ^ Rome Reports TV news agency (29 September 2015). "Two great confessors chosen for the Jubilee of Mercy: Saint Pio and Saint Leopold". www.romereports.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
- ^ "Italy makes St. Padre Pio patron of civil defense volunteers". The Georgia Bulletin. 2004-03-30. Archived from the original on 2004-09-11. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
- ^ "News Briefing: Britain and Ireland". The Tablet. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Relics of Padre Pio in Scotland". St Cadoc's Church. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Relics of Padre Pio in Scotland - Holy Mass". Archdiocese of Edinburgh. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Italian monk on path to sainthood". BBC News. BBC. 22 December 1998. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Procession with new Padre Pio statue". Times of Malta. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Padre Pio prayer groups honour saint". Times of Malta. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Goldfield, Raymond (13 December 2022). "Few People Know The Iconic St. Padre Pio Shrine In New Jersey Was Actually Imported From Italy". Only in your state. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Italian statue weeps blood". BBC News. 2002-03-06. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
- ^ Tomasetti, Kathryn (2 November 2022). "Why Italy's Tremiti Islands should be on your radar". National Geographic. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Statua di Padre Pio". Visit Italy. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Calleja, Joseph Peter (20 September 2022). "Philippines to construct 100-foot Padre Pio statue". UCA news. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "St. Padre Pio statue in Batangas unveiled on feast day". GMA news. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
Sources
- Allegri, Renzo (2000). Padre Pio: a man of hope. Ann Arbor. OCLC 1342142594.
- Castelli, Francesco (2011). Padre Pio under investigation: the secret Vatican files. Vittorio Messori, Lee Bockhorn, Giulietta Bockhorn. San Francisco: OCLC 671704344.
- Ceci, Lucia (2016). The Vatican and Mussolini's Italy. Boston: OCLC 960759128.
- Luzzatto, Sergio (2011). Padre Pio: Miracles and politics in a secular age (1st ed.). New York: ISBN 978-0312611668.
- Margry, Peter Jan (2008). "Il marketing di Padre Pio: strategie cappuccine e vaticane e la coscienza religiosa collettiva". Sanctorum: Rivista dell'Associazione Italiana per lo studio della santità, dei culti e dell'agiografia (5): 141–167. doi:10.1400/118295.
- Rega, Frank (2005). Padre Pio and America. Rockford. OCLC 1285743511.
External links
- "Padre Pio de Pietrelcina" in Vatican News Service
- Padre Pio of Pietrelcina – Official website (in Italian and English)
- Magazine The Voice of Padre Pio – Official website (in Italian and English)
- Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina – Official Website (in Italian and English)
- Padre Pio of Pietrelcina – Official TV and radio channels (in Italian)
- Padre Pio of Pietrelcina – Books and religious gifts (in Italian and English)
- Padre Pio Foundation of America
- All about Padre Pio
Unofficial biographies
- The New York Times, April 25, 2008: "Italian Saint Stirs Up a Mix of Faith and Commerce".