Unlike Indra Devi who felt a calling to the East in her teens and abandoned
one culture for another, Padre Pio (1887-1968), a pious Italian Catholic, was
identified as “holy” at birth when the midwife held him up and said, “Peppa.
The child’s born wrapped in a white veil, and that’s a good sign. He will be
great and fortunate.” While he was destined for the Capuchin friary, he also
became involved in the world of corporate finance, politics and strategy to
accomplish his dream of building a hospital for the poor in his rural area.
Padre Pio became great, earning canonization. But he was hardly fortunate
in his lifetime. He emulated the Christian archetype of suffering, and had
physical pain throughout his life. He also suffered from enormous
persecution, humiliation, accusations, slander, trials and condemnations.
Despite his enemies’a attacks on his character and behaviors, there can be
no dispute about his spiritual stature. Charismatic experiences – ecstasies
and apparitions – began when he was five, when he dedicated his life to
Jesus. His visions, especially of Mother Mary, were so frequent he thought
they were normal and that everyone had them. Characterized by
phenomena associated with the paranormal – bilocation, levitation, mind
reading, premonitions, clairvoyance, and omniscience – he was venerated by
the people. About these activities, he simply said, “They are a mystery to me
too.”
One of the most remarkable documented cases of bilocation was during
World War II when he appeared in the air over San Giovanni Rotondo (the
town of his monastery) . Because the area was in Nazi hands, American
bombers were dispatched to the area. However, when they flew over the city
to drop their bombs, a brown-robed friar appeared in the air before their
planes — and all attempts to release the bombs failed. Later, one of the
pilots visited the friary and recognized Padre Pio as that brown-robed priest.
REFLECT:
Have you experienced a miracle?
What miracles would you like to see happen?
* for yourself?
* for others?
* for humanity?
Padre Pio entered the Capuchin friary at 15 as a novice to a harsh life of
deprivation and self scouraging. Upon becoming a monk, he was plagued by
strange illnesses that were never diagnosed or cured, including being
persecuted by the devil in images and strange occurrences.
Padre Pio received the stigmata in 1918 on his hands, feet, and side, which
remained throughout his life. The blood from the stigmata smelled of floral
perfume. He foretold his death, saying he had 50 years after the stigmata,
and he died the same day in 1968. And after his death, the stigmata healed
completely, leaving no sign of 50 years of open wounds.
Upon gaining adoration from the faithful for exhibiting the stigmata and for
countless documented healing miracles, Padre Pio fell into longstanding
persecution by the Church. At one time, he was completely isolated,
forbidden to leave his cell, communicate with others, look out the window, or
take Mass. For three years, he lived as a recluse.
Factions formed around his accusers and defenders. The Holy Office
published a book decrying him to save the faithful who flocked to him from
being deceived. One such vicious attacker was was Alberto Del Fante, an
atheist newspaperman. When Del Fante’s grandson, Enrico, was diagnosed
as terminally ill with tuberculosis of the lungs and bones and abscesses in
the kidneys, the family members interceded with Padre Pio. As Del Fante
watched, a miracle healing occurred. He promptly converted and wrote a
book, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina: Herald of the Lord. The Holy Office responded
by condemning the book and forbidding its printing, and taking more severe
measures against Padre Pio. Eventually, Emanuele Brunatto, a faithful
follower and versatile impressario, was able to expose the critics and force
Church authorities to rescind the condemnations.
Despite his earthly conditions, Padre Pio remained spiritually transcendent.
He was ever obedient to the Church – pious, obedient and humble – denying
being more than an ordinary monk. But medically verified stories of his
healings abound, as do stories of his appearances to those who called on
him – from appearing in dreams to being in front of a church during services –
while miles away in his cell. Those in his healing presence smelled violets,
and anything he touched took on that fragrance which lasted decades.
While he spent 12 – 15 hours a day in the confessional addressing spiritual
illnesses of the faithful, Padre Pio wanted to help the poor with their physical
illnesses. The nearest hospital was 25 miles away over mostly impassable
roads. He turned an old convent nearby into a minuscule hospital with two
wards, twenty beds, and an operating room. But it was soon flooded with
patients and had to shut down due to lack of personnel.
This began his ten year planning period that culminated in the construction
of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House of the relief of Suffering). Initial
financing came from profits from a series of patents on diesel engines (to
replace steam engines) a Countess bestowed on him in gratitude for healing
her. (Later funding was through donations from the faithful). With Brunatto
as his “front man”, Padro Pio provided detailed strategies for navigating the
corporate world that defied all logic and common sense, but they were
successful. For instance, he had Brunatto establish the business in Paris to
avoid the Italian bureaucracy, and to negotiate licenses in several countries,
including the US.
Just as his spiritual charisma / miracles created conflict with the church in his
early life, this secular success created conflict for the last 15 years of his life.
Padre Pio was again falsely accused and persecuted. Brunatto stepped in
again, organizing a committee for his defense that created a White Paper
containing facts, exposes, and violations of his basic human rights. It was
scheduled to be presented to the United Nations, but the Church enforced
the law of obedience, and made Padre Pio stop defense actions and sign the
Church over to them. (He refused to sign over the large donation account,
saying it did not belong to him, but to the people).
The final Church act to deny his spiritual stature was at his death. The
attending physician, Dr. Scala, and the preparers of his body for viewing all
witnessed the final miracle: the 50 year old stigmata wounds looked as new
as baby skin, which was documented in a report and photos. Nonetheless,
the Church instructed all involved to be silent on the miracle of his stigmata
healing, which was greater than the stigmata itself. In addition, the affected
areas were to covered for the pre-funeral viewing, so the public wouldn’t
know.
Thirty years later, after exhaustive investigation, Padre Pio was canonized.
APPLY:
Reflect on judging others for their spiritual activities.
Meditate on recognizing, acknowledging and honoring truth in allies forms.
Padre Pio, Man of Hope, Renzo Allegri, Charis, 2000.
