The Risen Jesus lives and works in the Catholic Church. His divine omnipotence manifests itself, among other things, in miracles performed through the intercession of the saints. For example, the spectacular miracles that Jesus performed thanks to the intercession of Saint Padre Pio, amaze intellectuals and scientists, and call non-believers to conversion.
Padre Pio has repeatedly emphasized that only God and the Mother of God can heal, and that he was only an unworthy mediator of God’s action. The sick, who, after being treated by the most famous specialists, had lost all hope of recovery, out of despair turned to Padre Pio for help. The healings that took place as a result of his prayers amaze the world of science to this day.
Suspension of the Laws of Nature
Gemma di Giorgi from Agrigento was blind from birth because she was born without pupils. At the age of seven, she went with her grandmother to Padre Pio to receive her First Holy Communion from him. After receiving the Lord Jesus from Padre Pio, a miracle happened – Gemma suddenly began to see perfectly, and remains able to do so to this day, even though the woman still has no pupils. This is a truly amazing fact, especially for scientists, because in Gemma’s case the laws of nature are in a permanent state of suspension.
Multiple scientific studies have confirmed the fact that Gemma di Giorgi can see perfectly, despite the lack of pupils. We are dealing here with an ongoing miracle. We stand before the secret of the omnipotence of God Himself, for whom nothing is impossible.
Another case of the suspension of natural laws through the intercession of Padre Pio was in the case of the railway worker Giuseppe Canaponi. Canaponi had suffered the partial destruction of his left leg as a result of an accident, and walked with crutches because he couldn’t bend his leg. After a confession with Padre Pio, a miracle happened: Canaponi regained the ability to bend his leg and walk normally. This fact shocked the medical world and was discussed at the congress of orthopaedic surgeons in Rome. X-rays and other examinations of the man’s limb showed that even though Canaponi had regained full movement, the leg had not changed organically, and from a medical point of view it was still impossible to bend it even minimally. Contrary to all laws of biology, Canaponi regained full walking, running, and jumping ability – the same as he had before the accident. It was another ongoing miracle of the suspension of natural laws. There is no logical or scientific explanation for this amazing fact.
Mary, of Galway Ireland, experienced extremely strong temptations, intrusive thoughts, and doubts about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. After several weeks of internal struggle during the Holy Mass the woman prayed for Padre Pio’s intercession, asking for his help. At one point, to her great amazement, she saw a shining figure of a monk. This vision was very short-lived. Later, when the priest was breaking the Host at a Holy Mass, the woman smelled an unusually strong and beautiful fragrance, as if all the flowers of the world had created a symphony of the finest scents in honour of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Mary confessed that this event completely changed her life, because thanks to the intercession of Padre Pio she regained a strong faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and the Holy Mass became the most important event of each day for her.
In November 1995, Consiglia de Martino of Salerno was miraculously healed through Padre Pio’s intercession. Based on the fact of her miraculous healing, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a decree concerning the miracle, which was the last necessary condition for Padre Pio’s beatification. Consiglia, a 46-year-old mother of three, fell ill on October 31, 1995. A growing, orange-sized tumour appeared on her neck, causing her pain and difficulty in breathing. While in the hospital, on the night before the planned surgery, Consiglia, weeping, prayed for Padre Pio’s intercession: “I am asking you to ask God for my healing. Do it for my husband and my children.” After this faithful prayer, the woman could smell a wonderful scent of flowers. She understood that this was how Padre Pio had let her know about his presence. She felt the touch of an invisible hand on the sore spot. The pain disappeared immediately. When she woke up in the morning, the tumour was gone. Instead of carrying out the planned surgery the baffled doctors subjected Consiglia to a detailed examination for four more days, after which they declared there had been a complete recovery inexplicable to medicine.
Padre Pio’s Bilocations
Bilocation is a state in which a person is simultaneously present in two different places, sometimes thousands of kilometres apart. Padre Pio had the gift of bilocation, which he used very often to help people in need. When he went to bed, he went to places where Christ sent him. He went to specific people with spiritual support, advice, and help. The phenomena of bilocation cannot be rationally explained. The spirit leaves the body and goes elsewhere, even at times apparently having a physical body, while the original body in many cases still functions as normal. The phenomenon of bilocation in Padre Pio’s life is richly documented.
During the Second World War, from September 1943 onwards, pilots of the Allied air forces stationed in the vicinity of Bari would make combat flights and, each time they approached the vicinity of San Giovanni Rotondo, they saw a monk appear in the sky, who would turn the planes around. Many localities in the area were heavily bombed, but not a single bomb fell on San Giovanni Rotondo. “When the pilots returned after the flight,” General Rossini recalls, “they said that at some point a monk appeared to them in the sky and the planes immediately changed course on their own.”
At first, some were distrustful of these incredible stories. However, as more and more pilots shared similar experiences, the Commander-in-Chief, an American general, decided to personally check into the credibility of these stories.
The commander led a bomber squadron that was to destroy a German ammunition warehouse located near San Giovanni Rotondo. This was another attempted mission – all of the previous ones had failed because of this mysterious figure of a monk who appeared in the sky. Everyone waited anxiously for the flight to succeed this time. When the squadron returned to base, the American general said that when they were close to the bombing target, the figure of a monk suddenly appeared in front of them with his arms raised. Then the bombs in all the airplanes suddenly dropped automatically, falling in the surrounding forests, while the planes turned themselves back to the base. This event became the main topic of conversation throughout the unit. During the discussion, someone suggested that this monk appearing in the sky might be Padre Pio, who was in the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo. The general decided that as soon as the front line shifted, he would personally go there to check it out. When the Germans withdrew, the commander went with a few pilots to the monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo. At the entrance to the sacristy, he noticed that in the group of monks was the one who had turned the airplanes around. Then Padre Pio approached the general, put his hand on his shoulder and said: “It was you who wanted to blow us all up!” Hearing these words and seeing Padre Pio, the American experienced a spiritual shock. Both men talked for a long time and understood each other perfectly, even though the squadron commander spoke only in English and Padre Pio, who could not speak English, spoke his native dialect. After this meeting, the general, who had been a Protestant, converted to Catholicism.
Another time, after Mass, a man fell on his knees before the monk and with tears in his eyes, came to Padre Pio, who was lingering in the sacristy, saying: “Father, thank you for saving my life!” It turned out that during the war this man, as an infantry captain, was at the front when the battle raged around him. At one point, the man saw that a monk, who was standing a dozen meters away from him, gave him a sign with his hand and said: “Captain, as soon as you can, run from where you are now and stand next to me.” The soldier immediately ran to the monk, and at that moment a grenade hit the exact place where he had been standing a moment ago . . . When the officer turned to thank the monk, he was no longer there. After the war, the captain came to San Giovanni Rotondo and discovered that the mysterious monk who saved his life was Padre Pio since he recognized him instantly.
Among the great number of letters sent to Padre Pio, there is also correspondence from the countries of the communist bloc. We learn from this that Padre Pio often went there in bilocation. He was, among others, in Yugoslavia, with Bl. Archbishop Alojzy Stepinacu during his trial, after which the hierarch was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He also accompanied the Primate of Hungary, Card. Józef Mindszenty while he was being tortured in prison. The secretary of the primate of Hungary said that during his imprisonment in 1956, the Cardinal very much wanted to celebrate Holy Mass. One day Padre Pio appeared in his cell, bringing with him everything that was needed to celebrate the Eucharist. The monk even served the primate at the Holy Mass!
In Czechoslovakia, the communist authorities dissolved religious orders and imprisoned priests. One of the religious communities of sisters continued living a hidden life, but the nuns did not wear habits. During the day, they worked on the land, and at night they gathered to pray together. It was these sisters who wrote a letter to Padre Pio, thanking him for having come to them especially to celebrate Mass. They were only sorry that Padre Pio had not accepted their invitation to a modest meal. In the letter, the nuns also asked how he made his return trip and whether he had had problems at the border crossing. It follows from this letter that the sisters were absolutely convinced that Padre Pio had left San Giovanni Rotondo and set out on a journey to Czechoslovakia. They didn’t know it was a bilocation trip!
Spectacular Conversions!
The greatest miracles that were accomplished through Padre Pio’s intercession were conversions. Miraculous changes of hearts took place every day at Padre Pio’s confessional. One of the most famous of such incidents was the conversion of the eminent Italian lawyer Cesare Festa, advisor to King Victor Emmanuel III, who rose to one of the highest positions in the Masonic hierarchy and became the Master of the Lodge in Genoa. This man fought the Catholic Church in an uncompromising manner. After an hour-long conversation with Padre Pio, Festa knelt down in front of the monk and asked to confess, and then at a secret meeting of the lodge he renounced his oath, boldly confessing his faith. Other fierce freemasons, atheists, and nonpractitioners also turned into passionate Catholics under the influence of meeting Padre Pio. Among them were: the famous biologist Ezio Saltamerenda; the most popular TV host of the 1950s Mario Riva; the great Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi; the famous Turin writer Pitigrill; the doctor Michel Boyer, a hero of the French resistance; the militant communists Costante Rosatelli, who was from Velletri, and Italia Betti, who was known as the “Karl Marx’ Herod-woman”; world-famous sculptor Francesco Messina; famous comedy actor Carlo Campanini; actor Mario Amendoli; popular actresses Elza Merlini; Liza Gastoni, Lea Padovani, Silvana Pampanini, and many others.
Padre Pio, through his extraordinary signs and miracles, reminds us that Jesus Christ – true God and true man – suffered and died on the cross because of our sins and rose for us and for our salvation. In the life and activity of Padre Pio, God gave mankind a very clear sign calling for conversion, to find God through persistent and trusting prayer and suffering. “God is sought in books,” wrote Padre Pio, “He is found in prayer. Crises in faith result from a lack of prayer. God is not found in books, but in prayer. The more a person prays, the more he finds God and the more his faith grows. My children, never neglect prayer. Pray often throughout the day. Only by praying will you find and experience God’s love. Prayer is the bread and the life of the soul, the breath of the heart, an encounter with God. When you experience states of distrust, doubt, fear, or suffering, you need to turn to the Lord in a special way in prayer and you will find in it strength and encouragement.”
