Presentation
and blessing of the new statue of Padre Pio to the church of Ss Alban and
Stephen by the Italin Community of St Albans
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Padre Pio's life
Padre
Pio, in the world Francesco Forgione, was born in Pietrelcina near Benevento,
on 25 May 1887. He entered as a cleric in the Capuchin Order on 6 January
1903 and was ordained a priest on 10 August 1910, in the Cathedral of Benevento.
On 28 July 1916, he came to San Giovanni Rotondo, on the Gargano, where,
except for a brief interruption, he remained until his death on 23 September
1968. On the morning of Friday, 20 September 1918, praying before the Crucifix
in the choir of the old church, he received the gift of the stigmata, that
remained in his body, fresh and bleeding, for half a century. During his
life which was dedicated entirely to the fulfilment of his priestly ministry,
he founded the "Prayer Groups" and a modern hospital to which he gave the name "The Home for the Relief of Suffering".
The diocesan process for his canonization, begun on 20 March 1983, was concluded on 21 January 1990.
All the many documents gathered and compiled in 104 volumes were consigned
to the Congregation for Causes of Saints. On 13 June 1997, the Theological
Commission, unanimously expressed a favourable opinion on the heroicity of
the virtues of the Padre; and the following 21 October, the same favourable opinion, equally unanimous, was issued by the Commission of Cardinals.
The Holy Father John Paul II granted the title of Venerable, with the publication
of the "Decretum super virtutibus" on 18 December 1997. From this aforementioned
decree we would like to reproduce the introduction: " 'But far be it from
me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus2 - Gal 6,14. "Padre Pio
of Pietrelcina, like the Apostle Paul, placed the holy Cross, that was his
strength, his wisdom and his glory at the apex of his life and his apostolate.
Free from the vanities of the world and enamoured of jesus Christ, he conformed
himself to Him, offering up his life for the salvation of the world. His
following and imitation of the divine victim was so generous and perfect
that he could say: 'I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I
who live, but Christ who lives in me2 - Gal 2,19. Nor did he wish to keep
for himself the treasures of grace, which God conceded him in aboundance;
so without rest he served those who came to him through his sacred ministry
and there grew a great multitude of spiritual children".
After the publication of the aforesaid Decree, the Postulation for the Cause
of Beatification and Canonization of Padre Pio presented to the competent
Vatican Congregation an occurrence held to be miraculous that took place
through the intercession of the Padre. The miracle was recognized by the
Pope, after the approval of the three commissions canonicallyal Consultations
of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which met on 30 April 1998,
examined the cure of Mrs Consiglia De Martino from "a traumatic rupture of
the thoracic duct in the neck", that took place on 3 November 1995, and with
a unanimous vote (5 out of 5) judged it "scientifically inexplicable".
The Theological Commission, that consisted of the Promoter General of the
Faith and six theological consultants, on 22 June 1998, examined the same
extraordinary fact and, after detailed discussion, expressed themselves clearly
in the affirmative (7 votes out of 7), qualifying it a third degree miracle
or quoad modum. The same favourable opinion was expressed by the Commission
of Cardinals in the month of October of the same year. Finally the Pope officially
recognized the miracle with the Decree of 21 December 1998 and fixed the
date for the Beatification for Sunday, 2 May 1999. |
