It happened in his lifetime when he was accused and rejected and, of course, it was bound to happen after his death and canonisation.
An Italian journalist has done an investigation into the stigmata of the Saint and, in turning over stones, has dug up some murky alleged facts.
It is a sad fact that any journalist of any competency, and, most especially, Italian ones, can create a nuance out of innocence, weave a prejudice into a belief, distort the truth with half truths.
Damian Thompson has the full story and speculates that the real harm done by this latest accusation, will be the fall-out that will only add to the other snide cases made against the holy and not so holy.
I am thinking (as is Damian, I believe) of the Nazi slurs against Pope Pius XII (holy man) and the paedophilia scandals (not so holy men).
You may read his report here and then pause awhile to read Paul Priest's comments which are, as always, so very sound.
An Italian journalist has done an investigation into the stigmata of the Saint and, in turning over stones, has dug up some murky alleged facts.
It is a sad fact that any journalist of any competency, and, most especially, Italian ones, can create a nuance out of innocence, weave a prejudice into a belief, distort the truth with half truths.
Damian Thompson has the full story and speculates that the real harm done by this latest accusation, will be the fall-out that will only add to the other snide cases made against the holy and not so holy.
I am thinking (as is Damian, I believe) of the Nazi slurs against Pope Pius XII (holy man) and the paedophilia scandals (not so holy men).
You may read his report here and then pause awhile to read Paul Priest's comments which are, as always, so very sound.
A Prayer
by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
May Jesus comfort you
in all your afflictions.
May He sustain you in dangers,
watch over you always with His grace,
and indicate the safe path
that leads to eternal salvation.
And may He render you always
dearer to His Divine Heart
and always more worthy of Paradise.
in all your afflictions.
May He sustain you in dangers,
watch over you always with His grace,
and indicate the safe path
that leads to eternal salvation.
And may He render you always
dearer to His Divine Heart
and always more worthy of Paradise.
Amen
I can't see the point, like you, in questioning the stigmata. I am no Scientist but there must be a million uses for Carbolic Acid that the Padre may have needed it for.
ReplyDeleteOne of the uses would be as an antiseptic to protect the wounds from infection.
ReplyDeleteI looked up carbolic acid on Wikipedia. From the early 1900s through the 1970s it was widely used as an antiseptic. As Genty suggests, it seems very likely that Padre Pio might have used it in order to prevent infection.
ReplyDeleteWhy would a man who could bi-locate and read the hearts of those who used to come to him for confession need carbolic-acid-induced-stigmata???
ReplyDeleteI would choose to believe that the Church had it right all along...