Posted on 04/25/2008 6:50:15 AM PDT by NYer
The exhumed body of Padre Pio, a saint considered a miracle worker by his devotees, attracted thousands of pilgrims on Thursday when it went on display 40 years after his death.
Padre Pio is one of the Catholic Church's most popular saints and during his lifetime the Italian monk was said to have had the stigmata, the bleeding wounds of Jesus' crucifixion on his hands and feet.
The economy of this southern town revolves around the cult of Padre Pio and heaving crowds waited to see his body, displayed in a crystal, marble and silver sepulcher in the crypt of the monastery where he spent most of his life.
His face was reconstructed with a lifelike silicone mask of the type used in wax museums because it was apparently too decomposed to show when the body was exhumed.
"He seems like he is sleeping. Even if they had to re-do the face, its better remembering him this way than looking at a slab of cold marble," said Domenico Masone, deputy mayor of Pietralcina, the town where Padre Pio was born.
Some 15,000 devotees attended a Mass said by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican department that oversees the Catholic Church's saint-making process, before the body went on display in the afternoon.
"He knows what I want from him," said Antonio Zimbaldi, 19, who attended Mass with his face, except for his lips, covered with white gauze.
"I have been devoted to him for as long as I can remember." Zimbaldi's entire body was burned in a fire caused by a gas explosion two years ago.
The body of the bearded Capuchin monk was exhumed from a crypt on March 3 and found to be in "fair condition" after 40 years. Since then a team of medical examiners and biochemists has worked to preserve and reconstruct the corpse.
In the sepulcher, he was dressed in a brown Capuchin habit and wore fingerless gloves he used to absorb blood from wounds on his hands. The mask was made by a London company which makes lifelike sculpted figures for museums.
ASKING FOR A MIRACLE
A poll in 2006 by Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana found that more Italian Catholics prayed to Padre Pio than to any other figure, including the Virgin Mary or Jesus. His picture is stuck to the dashboards of many taxis and cars throughout Italy.
Eighty-year-old Assunta Antico attended the Mass sitting in a wheelchair and was covered with a shawl in the same deep brown that Padre Pio wore. "I had a stroke two years ago. I'm paralyzed and I want to walk again."
This town is home to a large hospital founded by the monk and many hotels and restaurants cater to the pilgrim trade.
As of Friday, the first of 750,000 people who have made reservations to see the body between now and December will file past the glass coffin at a rate of about 7,200 a day.
There are about 3,000 "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" in the world, with a membership of 3 million. Pope John Paul made him a saint in 2002 before one of the biggest Vatican crowds.
Among the stories that surround the monk, who died at the age of 81, is one that he wrestled with the devil one night in his monastery cell and emerged bloodied and bruised.
However, he was dogged by accusations of fraud. A book last year suggested he was a self-harming man who might have used carbolic acid to cause his wounds. Church officials have denied he was a fake.
his body displays no signs of the stigmata anymore (at least according to reports I have heard).
if he personally wounded himself for 50 years, there would undoubtedly be marks on his body. apparently he does not have any scarring (50 years of self-mutilation would be visible on the corpse) so I doubt that he seared his hands with acid.
My pleasure .. ;)
You are so gracious.
FR Catholic Caucus is better than RCIA in some ways - here, we are consistently edified by the immediate input of our brethren.
Go back, re-read my post and think about what I said.
You are preaching to the choir.
Actually, within the Catholic Church, the word "cult" refers to those Catholics who have a devotion to a particular saint, Mary, the angels etc. It's not the best word to use when addressing a non-Catholic audience, for obvious reasons.
It doesn’t matter-—the SBC freepers already think Catholics are cult members. and they never tire of saying it.
I think the Vatican concluded that the antiseptics were used to clean needles during the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu epidemic
I am sorry if it sounded like I was calling you out.
When my life is over, I will not miss "the accuser of the Bretheren." And on the off chance they perish before I do, I will dance in the streets.
FR Catholic Caucus is better than RCIA in some ways - here, we are consistently edified by the immediate input of our brethren.
If anyone is gracious, it is you. At some point in time several years ago, it occured to me that many Catholics are ignorant about their faith, not that I am a theologian. However, in addressing attacks on our Church, I learned more about the Catholic faith and began to accrue an extensive list of bookmarked links to defend it. I now find myself 'educating' parishioners, visitors to our parish and the children. Perhaps that is why the pastor asked me to take charge of the RelEd program. Though small in number, it is a daunting task to select the proper materials and ensure these children are properly formed. In the process, I often find myself educating their parents at coffee socials. Sadly, most parents today entrust all religious education to the parish. Catholic education begins in the home. There is no way we can shoulder the burden of responsibility for raising children in the Catholic faith with only 15 days of classes per year. This needs to be bolstered at home in the family.
But thank you for the kind sentiments. They are most appreciated.
Thanks; you’re a good friend. Just remember to bundle up because it will probably be a cold day :)
Perhaps that’s what struck me as odd, that his life was relatively recent. Not a principled dispute; I’m just the kind of person who can’t stand medical shows or visits to the hospital and prefer to think of our departed in spirit.
I can’t complain about the Catholic education I received growing up (and will always be indebted to a couple Dominicans and Basilians), but did my best in college to forget everything I knew about anything. Later on, a work situation put me in the company of several recent converts - they really know their stuff, and the education renewed. I now find myself mostly in the company of protestants or secularists, and FR caucus threads are a saving grace some days(I read far more than I post).
Thank you, Saint Pio for your blessed intervention.
""Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God." These are the words of Padre Pio (now known as Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina) and they adequately encapsulate his approach to faith as well as his overall spiritual practice".
sw
Thanks NYer,beautiful thread.Padre Pio pray for us.
Litany of the Saints-Matt Mahr’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5B4U6k0qs4&feature=related
Litany of the Saints From John Paul II’s Funeral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3iu9bwEfl4&feature=related
padre pio
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