Fake Stigmata Controversy

During the 20th century, Padre Pio was one of the most famous and popular Catholic monks. He died in 1968 and was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002. He was recently declared the Patron Saint of New Year Blues.

Pio was particularly famous for the supernatural phenomena associated with him. In particular, stigmata were said to have mysteriously appeared on his hands and feet. But a new book argues that Pio faked his stigmata:
a book called Padre Pio and the Italy of the 19th Century, by historian Sergio Luzzatto says the wounds were self-created using carbolic acid and he claims to have found documentary evidence to prove it in the Vatican's secret archives.

According to Wikipedia, this is hardly the first time charges of fakery have been leveled against Pio:
His accusers included high-ranking archbishops, bishops, theologians and physicians.
They brought several accusations against him, including insanity, immoral attitude towards women - claims that he had intercourse with women in the confessional (However, the same priest who accused Pio of these sexual acts later recanted his story and repented on his death bed.), misuse of funds and deception - claims that the stigmata were induced with acid in order to gain fame—and that the reported odor of sanctity around him being the result of self-administered eau-de-cologne.
The founder of Rome's Catholic university hospital concluded Padre Pio was "an ignorant and self-mutilating psychopath who exploited people's credulity." In short, he was accused of infractions against all three of his monastic vows: poverty, chastity and obedience.
In 1923, he was forbidden to teach teenage boys in the school attached to the monastery because he was considered "a noxious Socrates, capable of perverting the fragile lives and souls of boys."

Body Manipulation Religion

Posted on Fri Oct 26, 2007



Comments

Ok I come here with a rational mind to disclose some arguements against padre pio.

first, of just because some of the christian commenters here get fired up about this topic don't suppose they are wrong because of this. Disregard the commenters emotion, we are humans we have emotions, so what? so even mentioning that it there is a broad difference in emotions is pointless. name calling means nothing to both the commented and the commenter on who is right.

To the people who think the wounds are suppose to be in the wrist because physics says so ill provide a rebuttal as to why they can be in the palm and it all has to do with they way the romans crucified. I saw a history channel show about this specifically, i cant remember the name. the experts DID calculate that the hand would rip open if the hand and feet were nailed to a cross. However there are multiple ways to crucify. The nails can go directly through the palm if ropes were tied around the arms and if a small ledge was added to cross. This means the wounds may be in the correct place. The nail and rope combo is very plausible. the rope held up the crucified and the nail added pain (the Romans were very entertained by seeing pain as a form of punishment, hence, the purpose of the Colosseum and gladiator arenas at times. So a nail added dramatic effect and made the punishment more severe). If your argument is that they were self inflicted because they were in the wrong place, it is not the way to go about disproving this miracle.
Posted by Thisoneguy  on  Sun Oct 02, 2011  at  01:14 PM
To thisoneguy.. Thank you!.. Most practical. And I was and am not one of the name callers!.. I am always of the opinion that each is to his own, and it is the order of the day, and Padre Peo is one for many, as much as there are faiths and believers, and people. The only difference between those with faith and those without are those that kill, then they only have faith in themselves! And none of the "saints" unless they were instructed to do so (beatification of Joan De Arc) killed per se. Then the Buddhist religion should also be exemplified because it is the only "religion"/philosophy where men have not attempted to increase their numbers using religion. In Padre Peo's case, he did not ask that he be beatified, nor canonized, and people who believe in him still resort to him through prayer. The purpose of this "discourse" herein, is? Those who digress will never believe, those who do will, despite all that is said to the contrary. Back to faith.. those who think Jesus is it, and I do, plus God will. But I do not condemn the man who does not say "Jesu", because in Jesus's chapter and verse it is also said "Judge not and you shall not be ...etc." I guess we will have to leave it to God to prove that the church and the medical center in Padre Peo's home town, and free medicines given to the ailing in his name are all worthy causes or worthless. The people who benefit from their belief and their visits to these places hold testimony of a person beyond. Factually, it appears that many people still will continue to test and question and the purpose finally to prove the power of Yes; the "Daddy Deity in the sky".. father most supreme! Fake Stigmata for Padre Peo? What was his purpose, was he seeking beatification? But then sainthood is only bestowed after death, so was it his pre-plan for a future life after death? And Mother Theresa had no wounds on her person, but on her soul in pity for the poor! She is to be "sainted" too 😊 I think neither of them nor Jean de' Arc did what they did with the intention of sainthood. However, of the latter two, no miracles of healing have been associated with them, no sites or prayer centers, nor churches built with them in mind. The saints that have proven of help to people are therefore "sanctified", and only through miracles. To prove a point,I would like to find one chapter and one verse in the Bible in any translation,which gives women a pride of place. This would then prove Padre Peo too. Just attitudes of people. You cannot really change that even if you try. Methinks no one would want to rewrite the Bible to put a verse in favor of a woman. The world is not modern enough for that, so the Saints will always hold a place in this old fashioned world of ours!
Posted by Coolandy  on  Mon Oct 03, 2011  at  12:22 PM
People listen : if he did in fact create the wounds himself, than why did the wounds suddenly disappear upon his death, he would have had some major scars if he had been pouring acid on his hands for 50 freaking years !
Think about it. Saint Pio was and is the real deal, and that is why we all love him.
J. P. ( Toronto, Canada ).
Posted by J.P. Biancofiore  on  Thu Mar 08, 2012  at  09:58 AM
Hi. J.P. Biancofiore in Canada. Your comment could also be taken as proof that the sainted saint is not the real deal because once he died he could not maintain the wounds that he himself created, as alleged by many. I would think that his body not deteriorating into soil is a validation of a form which kept the remains of his body intact. St. Therese and only a few other "saints" are so "blessed". Padre Peo is, I think proving his own worth and more believable now in death than in life by the many miracles that are happening in his prayer center and church and if not his many miracles, then the extension of his faith in the medical center in his home town, which is a miracle in itself because most hospitals are more a financial deal than a cure world wide. At least someone has been influenced by him or in relation to him, to give of themselves to the less fortunate, the sick and the diseased and in the context of today and selfishness, this is truly a miracle 😊.
Posted by Andrea Brito Babapulle  on  Thu Mar 08, 2012  at  10:16 AM
HiAndrea, You don't understand. If he had been pouring acid on his wounds for 50 years, upon death he would have extreme scars from the acid, and he didn't. As far as the body not decomposing it is called Embalming which is what i do here in Canada, i am a Funeral Director. Embalming basically is draining the blood, and injecting a formaldehyde based solution via the carotid artery, this will preserve the body for a period of time.
Posted by J.P. Biancofiore  on  Thu Mar 08, 2012  at  02:05 PM
Hi.. I always give credit where credit is due, I do not know about embalming, however, despite all the embalming techniques, there is a natural time span which even the best of embalmers cannot control, and that is the natural decomposition of flesh. Bones remain and sometimes the encasing material, such as seen in the Egyptian mummies, but they become effigies and are hardly identifiable from the original form in which they were laid. http://listverse.com/2007/08/21/top-10-incorrupt-corpses/,.. and Yahoo answers says "God can do anything!". St. Bernadette for one 1879, St. John 1859 etc.. Padre Peo? I am sure that as a Funeral Director, even your expertise might not stretch to keep a body from decomposing for over a 100 years? I do agree with you though that you do love the saint and I do too. I match fact with fallacy 😊 Also lays to rest any censure of how Padre Peo achieved his wounds and retained them.
Posted by Andrea Brito Babapulle  on  Thu Mar 08, 2012  at  07:11 PM
Hi, we are not talking about 100 years, only 40 +. I have exhumed 5 or 6 bodies over the pat 15+ years, and most are still are in very good condition considering the burial methods, such as mausoleum ( like St. Pio ). 3 in particular whom had been deceased for 26, 43, and 51 years were in amazing condition. They had some mold, and dehydration but I could have set them up again and have another viewing for them with little preparation time. Padre Pio had been in a mausoleum for 40 + years, so if he was well embalmed he would still look aesthetically well.
Posted by J. P. Biancofiore  on  Fri Mar 09, 2012  at  06:23 AM
By the way, why is this conversation on a website entitled " The museum of hoaxes" ?
Saint Pio is definitely no hoax.
Posted by J. P. Biancofiore  on  Fri Mar 09, 2012  at  07:10 AM
Good question 😊. Answers on page 1 of this site. Per se, a matter of opinion of those who judged him such, and those who wanted to prove him such, so until rectified as bona fide, will remain such. I would recommend that they move it into the "10 bodies of saints who have not perished" then he becomes history instead of a mystery 😊.
Posted by Andrea Brito Babapulle  on  Fri Mar 09, 2012  at  09:35 AM
To all those who doubt the power of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, you will see him before you go depending on how bad you blaspheme his messengers ....

For this historian Lugatto and the rest of the mob out there... Father Pio made very important statements in his lifetime... Forgiveness even when one was persecuted.

This is important... there many historians and experts etc etc etc .. blah blah blah.. etc etc...

However, there is so much evidence about Padre Pio and his miracles and prayers for all.

To those who doubt.... wait till you reach your death bed... and ask for forgiveness..

Alleluia Christ is Risen... Peace to All Men.
Posted by Leo Fernando  on  Fri Apr 06, 2012  at  10:43 AM
To Charybdis you obviously will feel the power of Jesus Christ this Easter.....

the stigmata in San Pio appears as a real reason that God is telling you what the scientists cannot define.

Science cannot define God or Life, however, God and Life can define science.... so all the scientific clowns out there have to think seriously what is Faith and Belief.....

would they trust flying up in an airplane that it is hanging in the hands of a man piloting it and not really the engineering marvel... Also wouldn't the pilot himself rely 100 percent in faith that the aircraft's engineering would respond to his controlling the plane.... believing that the engineers who built the aircraft could be trusted to keep the aircraft safe in the air.

How did they come to such beliefs and confidence so as to pilot an aircraft....

Is it faith in the engine... or the life that created the engine and the rest of the airplane? !

Back on Padre Pio... there have been many signs... simple.... but people want sophistication to believe in it....

God bless you non-believers and atheists.
Posted by Leo Fernando  on  Fri Apr 06, 2012  at  10:55 AM
@Leo Fernando.. Other than the "curse" vested upon those who do not believe (Big smile), I would say "Amen" to the rest, because yes, most people here are of the "opinion" that Padre Peo is the bonafide being and the best message from our God is "Judge not and you shall not be judged" therefore let him be the best judge of that! I do not think that the people who have their "opinions" to the contrary to what is thought or said in favour "of" are going to be damned in hell fire either, because it is merely an opinion and we are all blessed with free thinking. Here, you find a diversity of opinions, akin to a place for discussion. It is not a fight, it is faith, therefore each is thus entitled to his beliefs as well as his/her opinions. The only difference between the speakers here, and the hierarchy who may tend to disprove his religious superiority in the claim to sainthood, is that they would not give him his sainthood because of the reasons as given above. The purpose would then be, if you cannot be of help, at least do not hinder.
Posted by Andrea Brito Babapulle  on  Fri Apr 06, 2012  at  01:57 PM
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