Padre Pio was known for his saintly acts. Yet despite his reputation,
there were those who tried to discredit him using outrageous lies and devious tactics. In
this video you will hear the shocking story of the attempts to undermine Padre Pio's legacy,
and the wicked ways in which they were carried out. So stay tuned.
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mystic and miracle worker whose intercessions is still very powerful and active today. We
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description below to find out more. And now to our story.
Padre Pio was known for his deep devotion to God. However, even a holy man like him
was not immune to criticism and slander from those who sought to undermine his reputation.
During the year of Padre Pio's 25th anniversary as a priest he was subjected to unusual restrictions,
and unlike other priests who would typically receive celebratory events such as a song
mass and hand kissing, Padre Pio was prohibited from any such festivities.
The only instruction given to him was to conduct a celebration in a manner commonly adopted by
good priests, which meant he should not exceed a duration of 30 to 40 minutes. Nevertheless,
the church was packed with people eager to honor the beloved friar.
During the time when Padre Pio was celebrating his Silver Jubilee a group of women became
jealous of the attention he gave to his spiritual daughters. In response to their envy, they began
to send letters to the convent accusing Padre Pio of impropriety. According to the letters,
women were sneaking into the convent at night and Padre Pio was allegedly allowing them entry.
These accusations were ridiculous and unfounded, but the woman continued to send anonymous letters
hoping to discredit Padre Pio. To add weight to their accusations,
the most jealous member of the group disguised herself with a shawl and floated around the
premises pretending to hide here and there. She hoped that the friars who had received
the letters would peek through the windows and believe that the allegations had some truth.
The campaign of slander continued for some time, despite the absurdity of the accusations.
Although the whole sham was ridiculous, the Superior at the time, Father Raphael,
felt obliged to verify the truth personally. During the night, he accounts, "I would take off
my sandals and, step by step, walk around the house, until I ended up catching a tremendous
cold, whose consequences I still suffer. One night I decided to take a peek in the chapel.
And then, to my great surprise, I found the poor priest, so slandered by people who sold their
souls to the devil, reciting the Miserere and disciplining himself in a low voice."
The superior backed away quietly and, pressed to the wall, waited for the situation to unfold.
To his amazement he saw Padre Pio pass in profound adoration,
clasping the living Child Jesus, wrapped in light.
Ashamed to have allowed that shadow of doubt, he said,
"I understood that it was indeed a diabolical plot and, from then on, I disregarded all the rumors
and gave no importance to the anonymous letters that continued to arrive, inspired by the devil
in some hysterical and jealous women. End of story.
While reading this account two things came to my mind. Firstly, the testimony of Father Rafael
witnessing Padre Pio carrying the baby Jesus made me realize that if Father Rafael wasn't there as
an accidental bystander, we might never have known about this encounter. This made me wonder how many
more mystical experiences Padre Pio had throughout his life, that only he himself knows about.
The second point that struck me while reading this text is the gravity of the sin of slander.
The women involved in this story went to great lengths to discredit Padre Pio.
Slander is a grave sin that violates the eighth commandment, which states,
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour."
According to Catholic teaching, slander not only harms the reputation of the person being
spoken about, but also harms the person who commits the sin. It is considered a
violation of justice, charity and truthfulness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that
those who commit slander must make restitution for any harm they have caused, and that they should
seek forgiveness from those they have wronged (CCC 2487). In addition, Catholics are called
to avoid engaging in slanderous behavior and to defend the reputation of others when they're being
falsely accused or spoken about unjustly. Furthermore, sacred scripture emphasizes
the importance of using our words for good and promoting the truth. St. James wrote,
"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart,
this person's religion is in vain." (James 1:26). Therefore,
it is important to be mindful of our speech. Gossiping is closely related to slander,
as it often involves spreading rumors or talking about other people behind their
backs in a negative or harmful way. In fact, gossiping is often considered a form of slander,
as it can damage a person's reputation and cause harm to their relationships and community.
St. Paul wrote, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is useful for building up as there is need, so that your words may give grace to
those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29). Padre Pio himself warned:
When you gossip about a person, it means that you have removed the person from your heart,
but be aware, when you remove a person from your heart, Jesus also goes away
from your heart with that person. I was speaking to my wife the other
day and I realized that I tend to get involved in conversations that speak poorly about other
people. However, I got inspired and want to share this idea with you: next time we feel tempted
to speak about somebody in a negative manner, let's take a moment to pray for them instead.
If there is something we believe they are doing wrong, let's pray for them to change for the
better. This way we can become better examples of good Catholics, and help others in a more
constructive way than talking behind their backs. Thank you for listening. Please give our channel
a boost by continuing to watch another video. This will help with the YouTube algorithm. I
have recommended some videos especially chosen for you on the end screen, or just click on one
of the links in the description below for a full selection of great Padre Pio stories.
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the link in the description below and stay tuned for the next video on the life of Padre Pio.