PADRE PIO DA PIETRELCINA 

“Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14)

Like the Apostle Paul, Padre Pio da Pietrelcina placed at the centre of his life and apostolic work, the Cross of His Lord as his strength, his wisdom and his glory. Inflamed by the love of Jesus Christ, he became like him in the sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world. In his following and imitation of the Crucified Christ he was so generous and perfect that he could have said: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). It was the treasures of grace, which God had granted him so lavishly and unceasingly, he passed on through his ministry serving the men and women who came to him in such great numbers. Bringing to birth an immense host of spiritual sons and daughters.

The son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa de Nunzio, this worthy follower of Saint Francis of Assissi was born on May 25, 1887 at Pietrelcina in the Archdiocese of Benevento. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age of twelve, he made his First Holy Communion and received the sacrament of Confirmation.

On January 6, 1903, at the age of sixteen, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone, where on January 22nd, he took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of his novitiate year, he took simple vows and on January 27, 1907, he made his solemn profession.

Filled with love of God and love of neighbor, Padre Pio lived his vocation to work for the redemption of man. He did this, in accordance, with the special mission that marked his entire life and which he exercised through the spiritual direction of the faithful: the sacramental reconciliation of penitents and the celebration of the Eucharist. The pinnacle of his apostolic activity was the celebration of Holy Mass. The faithful who took part witnessed the summit and fullness of his spirituality.

In the capacity of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House for the Relief of Suffering), which opened on May 5, 1956.
For Padre Pio, faith was life. He willed everything and did everything in the light of faith. He was assiduously devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: “In books we seek God, in prayer we find him. Prayer is the key which opens God’s heart. Faith always led him to accept God’s mysterious will.

He was always immersed in supernatural realities. Not only was he himself, a man of hope with total trust in God, but by word and example, he communicated these virtues to all who approached him.

The love of God filled him and satisfied his every desire. Charity was the primary inspiration of his day: to love God and to help others love Him. From this inspiration came his focus to grow in charity and to lead others to do so.

He portrayed his love of his neighbor by welcoming, for more than fifty years, countless people who had resources to his ministry and his confessional, his counsel and his consolation. He was almost besieged. They sought him in Church, in the sacristy and in the friary. Yet, he gave himself to everyone, rekindling faith, dispensing grace, and bringing light. It was especially in the poor, the suffering and sick, that he saw the image of Christ. Hence, he gave himself to these unfortunate the most.

He exercised, to an exemplary degree, the virtue of prudence by consistently acting and counseling in the light of God.
His concern was the glory of God and the good of souls. He treated everyone with justice, frankness, and respect.
When he had to submit to investigations and restrictions in his priestly ministry, he accepted everything with profound humility and resignation. In the face of unjust accusations and calumnies, he remained silent, trusting always in the judgement of God, of his immediate superiors and of his own conscience.

In keeping with the Franciscan style, he habitually practiced mortification in order to gain the virtue of temperance. He was temperate in his attitude and in his way of life.

Conscious of the commitments, which he had undertaken when he entered the consecrated life, he observed with generosity the vows he had professed. He was obedient in all things to the commands of his Superiors, even when they were burdensome. His obedience was supernatural in all intention, universal in its scope and complete in its execution. He lived the spirit of poverty with total detachment from self, from earthly goods, from his own comfort and from honours. He always had a great love for the virtue of chastity. His behavior was modest in all situations and with all people.

He sincerely thought of himself as useless, unworthy of God’s gifts, full of weakness and infirmity, and at the same time blessed with divine favours. Amid so much admiration around him, he would say: “I only want to be a poor friar who prays.”
From his youth, his health was not very robust, and especially in the last years of his life it declined rapidly. Death took him well-prepared and serene on April 23, 1968 at the age of eighty-one. An extraordinary gathering of people attended his funeral.
On February 20, 1971, barely three years after the death of Padre Pio, Pope Paul VI, speaking to the Superiors of the Capuchin Order, said of him: “Look what fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered around him! But why? Perhaps because was a philosopher? Because he was wise? Because he had resources at his disposal? Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions from dawn to dusk and was – it is not easy to say it – one who bore the wounds of our Lord. He was a man of prayer and suffering.”

Even during his lifetime, he enjoyed a vast reputation for sanctity because of his virtues, his spirit of prayer, sacrifice and total dedication to the goods of souls.

The Capuchin Order took the steps prescribed by Canon Law to begin the Cause of Beatification and Canonization. After examining the case, the Holy See, in accordance with the norm of the Motu Proprio “Sanctitas Clarior”. Granted the nihil obstat on November 29, 1982. The Archbishop of Manfredonia was thus enabled to introduce the Cause and set up the informative process (1983-1990). On December 7, 1990, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized its juridical validity. When the Positio had been completed, there was the usual discussion on whether the Servant of God had exercised the virtues to a heroic degree. On June 13, 1997, the special meeting of the Theological Consultors was help and gave a positive judgement. In the Ordinary Session on October 21, 1997, with Bishop Andrea Maria Erba of Velletri-Segni, the Proposer of the Cause, together with the Cardinals and Bishops, recognized that Padre Pio da Pietrelcina had lived, to a heroic degree, the theological, cardinal and associated virtues.

On December 18, 1997, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the Decree on heroic virtue was promulgated.
For the Beatification of Padre Pio, the Postulation presented to the Congregation the healing of Signora Consiglia De Martino of Salerno. The regular canonical process on this case was held at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Salerno- Campagna-Acerno from July 1996 to June 1997. On April 30, 1988, at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Medical Board examined the miracle, and on June 22, 1998, the Special Meeting of Theological Consultors gave its judgement. On October 20, 1998, the Ordinary Congregation of the Cardinals and Bishops belonging to the Congregation was held in the Vatican. On December 21, 1998, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the Decree on the miracle was made widely known.

On May 2, 1999, in the course of a solemn concelebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope John Paul II by his apostolic authority, beatified the Venerable Servant of God, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, naming September 23 as the date of his liturgical feast.
For the Canonization of Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the Postulation presented to the competent Dicastery, the Curia of the young Matteo Pio Colella of San Giovanni Rotondo. The regular canonical process on the case was held at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste from June 11 to October 17, 2000. On October 23, 2000 the documents were forwarded to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On November 21, 2001, the medical testimony was examined by the same Congregation. The Theological Consultors help a special Congress on December 11 and December 18, the ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops.