In 1982, the Holy See authorized the archbishop of Manfredonia to open an investigation to determine whether Pio should be canonized. He had three younger sisters (Felicita, Pellegina, and Grazia) and one older brother (Michele), as well as two other siblings who had passed away as infants. Around this time, records show that many distinguished people, scholars, and politicians from all over the world came to see Padre Pio. His brother Michele also moved in. His youth (1887-1903) Francesco Forgione, widely known as Padre Pio, was born on May 25th, 1887 in Pietrelcina, a small town in southern Italy. [3][6] He took the simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. At that time, Padre Pio was a teacher at the seminary and a spiritual director. The visible stigmata on his body was one that brought him great pain, but he welcomed it. He had often said, "After my death, I will do more. He works a lot for a man of his age. He was the son of peasant farmers Grazio Mario Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio. He bore the wounds of Christ, which is still something that cannot be explained. In Padre Pios correspondence, however, there are some credible declarations that attribute miracles to his intercession. [115], 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. Padre Pio became famous for exhibiting stigmata for most of his life, thereby generating much interest and controversy. A discussion of the effects of his life on others followed. Till the end, he repeated the words "Ges, Maria" (Jesus, Mary). Pio established five rules for spiritual growth, which included weekly confession, daily communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and frequent examination of one's conscience. On 6 January 1903, at the age of 15, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. With the outbreak of the war, only three friars stayed at Our Lady of Grace; the others were selected for military service. On August 10th, 1910, he was ordained as a priest in the chapel of the Duomo of Benevento. "[47] Author C. Bernard Ruffin suggests this may have been due to a possibly extremist Pentecostal sect which operated in Pietrelcina, but notes that this is only speculation on his part. From that moment on, I could feel the intensity of his love for Jesus grow as well as his desire to give himself over to God. At age 12, he received the sacrament of the first communion and then confirmation the following year. Austrian Cardinal Alfons Stickler reported that Wojtya confided to him that during this meeting, Padre Pio told him he would one day ascend to "the highest post in the church, though further confirmation is needed. His Requiem Mass was attended by over 100,000 people. But without medical confirmation it is difficult to reach a conclusion, and the issue remains open. All rights reserved. Throughout this period of segregation, which lasted until July 15th, 1933, he carried out his days in this way: around two hours celebrating Mass; prayers until noon, interspersed with about an hour of study; prayers again in the afternoon, from the evening almost until midnight. The Vatican initially imposed severe sanctions on Pio in the 1920s to reduce publicity about him: it forbade him from saying Mass in public, blessing people, answering letters, showing his stigmata publicly, and communicating with Padre Benedetto, his spiritual director. [27] 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. "[117], Padre Pio has become one of the world's most popular saints. On September 4, 1916, Padre Pio was ordered to return to his community life and was assigned to San Giovanni Rotondo, an agricultural community, located in the Gargano Mountains. Luca Lionello as Silvestro; The film also features an appearance from Asia Argento, who portrays Tall Man. Padre Pio was seated in an armchair; his breathing was labored and he was very pale. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. [13], Padre Pio increasingly became well known among the wider populace. He's already in Paradise. [118] There are more than 3,000 "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" worldwide, with three million members. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968), an Italian priest and mystic, was consumed by a desire to suffer for the transgressions of mankind. [10], 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. About Padre Pio. Let's have a look at a story from th. He was baptized the next day, in the nearby Castle Church, with the name of his brother, Francesco, who died in early infancy. eBay item number: 275626820936. He said Mass and taught school. In his report, among other things he wrote: "The injuries he presents to hands are covered with a brown-red membrane, with no bleeding points, no edema and no inflammatory reactions in the surrounding tissues. During the dark years of the second world war, Padre Pio was a consoling angel for many wives and mothers who came to him asking for prayers for their loved ones on the front line, and to hear any news from them. Padre Pio, priest, stigmatist, mystic and one of the world's most popular saints, will be dead 50 years on Sunday, September 23rd. Pio died in 1968 at the age of 81. According to the biography Padre Pio: The True Story published by Our Sunday Visitor, "Around 10:00 p.m., a furious mob descended upon the friary.". [116] 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. He was baptized the day following his birth. They try to live as closely to St. Francis ideals as possible. [57] 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. He began taking on penances to prove his dedication and love for God. Padre Pio celebrated Mass in the morning at his parish church and spent his days praying, teaching children, counseling people, and visiting friends. Pio maintained that the carbolic acid was used to sterilize syringes used for medical treatments and that after being subjected to a practical joke where veratrine was mixed with snuff tobacco, causing uncontrollable sneezing after ingestion, he decided to acquire his own quantity of the substance in order to play the same joke on his confreres;[94][95] the bishop of Volterra, Raffaello Rossi came to share this view, believing that "Instead of malice, what is revealed here is Padre Pio's simplicity, and his playful spirit"[95] and that "the stigmata at issue are not a work of the devil, nor a gross deceit, a fraud, the trick of a devious and malicious person [] his "stigmata" do not seem to me a morbid product of external suggestion. [37][90] Despite seeming to heal they would then reappear periodically. Many professionals saw the wounds but did not keep a written record of their thoughts. The idea of consecrating his life to God forever had been his since he was a little boy. The Jesuit Festa had previously tried to question Gemelli's comments on stigmata in general. [2] He was baptized in the nearby Santa Anna Chapel, which stands upon the walls of a castle. [49], Pio became exceedingly pessimistic about the state of the world towards the end of his life. On November 28, 1911, Padre Agostino, who was a contemporary, friend, and confidant, was advised that Padre Pio was ill. "[80], Maccari finished his critical report with a list of recommendations for further dealing with Father Pio. The wounds went away and the supernatural life of Padre Pio remained a secretfor a while. The Padre Pio Foundation of America is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. "[43], Pio was deeply troubled by the changes the church was undergoing following the Second Vatican Council. Cast. He, Francesco, is quite certain that he will become a priest. When Padre Pio became a part of the community at Our Lady of Grace, there were seven friars. Padre Pio (1887-1968) Saint Pio (Pius) of Pietrelchina was a Capuchin Catholic priest from Italy, who is venerated as a saint. 1, 1092-1095). Production 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. [97] Gemma, who was brought to San Giovanni Rotondo in 1947 by her grandmother, was born without pupils. On June 16th, 2002, Padre Pio was Canonized by Pope John Paul II. In 1966, the Father General of the Franciscans came to Pio to ask for prayers regarding the reformation of the Franciscans. When one more friar was called into service, Pio was put in charge of the community. [8], On 4 September 1916, however, Pio was ordered to return to his community life. It was hoped that morticians would be able to restore the face so that it would be recognizable. Pietrelcina was a town where feast days of saints were celebrated throughout the year, and the Forgione family was deeply religious. Overall impression: pitiful. Padre Pio was baptized in the Church of Saint Ann in Pietrelcina. . Padre Pio. His stint in the military was interrupted by long periods of leave, granted for health reasons. On 15 November 1915, he was drafted and on December 6, assigned to the 10th Medical Corps in Naples. [97] Padre Pio told her, "The child must not weep and neither must you for the child sees and you know she sees."[97]. Padre Pio did this. A media offensive by the Capuchins was able to realise a broad acceptation of the contested saint in society. "[78] Maccari called Pio's supporters "a vast and dangerous organization. This time Pio allowed him to see the wounds. The Capuchins had a reputation for their holiness and simple life. This phenomenon repeated itself almost every week until 1918. [104], After further consideration of Padre Pio's virtues and ability to do good even after his death, including discussion of another healing attributed to his intercession, John Paul II declared Padre Pio a saint on 16 June 2002. In the beginning, Padre Pio felt great humiliation at the wounds on his body. He had stated many times that his greatest wish was to die. He was visited by so many pilgrims wishing to see some of the miraculous manifestations that his presence attracted. He was the son of peasant farmers Grazio Mario Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio. On March 20th, 1983, the diocesan procedure was initiated for the canonization of Padre Pio as Servant of God. St Pio is the perfect saint for Don't Worry Be Happy day. Within a month of his ordination, (September 7, 1910), as Padre Pio was praying in the Piana Romana, Jesus and Mary appeared to him and gave him the wounds of Christ, the Stigmata. Submit review. Despite this, he still made his solemn profession on 27 January 1907. Shia LaBeouf as Padre Pio; Marco . This was the beginning of Padre Pios documented ecstasies all of which were "edifying, theologically correct and expressed a deep love for God. His title was Private Francesco Forgione. The phenomenon was reported to have continued for fifty years, until the end of his life. These cookies do not store any personal information. [15], In 1948, in a letter written to Alcide De Gasperi, Pio noted his support for the Christian Democracy party. [82] The reports of supernatural phenomena surrounding Padre Pio attracted fame and amazement. Pio died in 1968 at the age of 81. Strategie cappuccine e Vaticane e la coscienza religiosa collettiva', in: Peter Jan Margry, 'Merchandising and Sanctity: the invasive cult of Padre Pio', in: United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, "The hospital on a hill: Padre Pio's earthly work", "Letter on Blessed Pader Pio: Stigmata Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist Suffering", "Padre Pio: on spirituality, Vatican II and the Novus Ordo Missae", "For all who feel put upon by the Vatican: A new patron saint of Holy Rehabilitation", "Details of first investigation into Padre Pio's stigmata revealed", "Fifty years ago Italy's most famous modern saint was being treated like a criminal", Moore, Malcolm. He welcomed the pain for all of mankind. Cases were studied such as a reported cure of an Italian woman, Consiglia de Martino, associated with Padre Pio's intercession. 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 dont worry. [63][64] During the interviews with the witnesses, which Rossi undertook a total of three times, he let himself be shown the stigmata of the then 34-year-old Father Pio. [68], According to Rossi "Of the alleged healings, many are unconfirmed or nonexistent. [73] John XXIII had probably never listened to the tapes himself, but assumed the correctness of this view: "The reason for my spiritual tranquility, and it is a priceless privilege and grace, is that I feel personally pure of this contamination that for forty years has corroded hundreds of thousands of souls made foolish and deranged to an unheard-of degree. ], According to Rossi `` of the alleged healings, many are unconfirmed or nonexistent the reports supernatural... 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