San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, Jun 22, 2009 / 09:29 am
Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI visited the town of San Giovanni Rotondo, where St. Padre Pio lived. During his visit, he spoke to those present about the importance of maintaining a life of prayer amidst a secular world that often discards the faith.
In the morning, the Holy Father visited the cell of the monastery where Padre Pio died, and venerated his mortal remains. Afterwards, he celebrated Mass in front of the church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
In his homily, the Pope spoke of St. Padre Pio, emphasizing how prayer was the foundation of all his priestly work of “guiding souls and alleviating suffering” in a spirit of unity with Christ.
“His days were a living Rosary, a continuous meditation upon, and assimilation of, the mysteries of Christ, in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary,” Benedict said. “This explains the unique simultaneous presence in him of supernatural gifts and of concrete human qualities. And the culmination of everything came in the celebration of Mass.”