Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Italian Monk Elevated to Sainthood

Aired June 16, 2002 - 11:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Rome today, thousands of people gathered at the Vatican to witness an Italian monk's elevation to sainthood. The canonization of Padre Pio drew one of the largest crowds ever to St. Peter's Square. CNN's Alessio Vinci covered the event and reports now from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): It is an incredibly hot day here in Rome with temperature well about 30 degrees Celsius, more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but the baking sun did not discourage hundreds of thousands of people from gathering in and around St. Peter's Square to witness firsthand the canonization process of Padre Pio, Padre Pio who was a man who dedicated most of his life to prayer and the devotion to Jesus Christ, a man who suffered most of his life for the good of other people. That's how most of his followers like to remember him.

But to his followers, Padre Pio was just a lot more than a simple friar. He was a man capable of performing miracles, healing sick people, a man with a gift of being in more than one place at once.

But what made him really popular was the fact that for most of his life, he bore the stigmata, the wounds of Jesus Christ, and most of his followers really believed in his special powers.

And, indeed, thousands of people every month or millions a year, while he was alive flocked to his flocked to his convent in San Giovanni Rotundo in the region of Pulia (ph) in southeastern Italy seeking the edification, seeking his blessing. It is believed that Padre Pio throughout his life has confessed more than 1.2 million people.

Now ironically the stigmata which made him one of the most popular figures of the Italian Catholic Church, second perhaps to Pope John Paul II, also created a great deal of concern among Vatican officials when he was alive, who actually that Padre Pio was an impostor who was created the stigmata on purpose because he was seeking fame and by pouring acid on his hands.

The Vatican indeed confined him to his convent, even prohibiting him from performing ministerial duties for many, many years.

It was eventually, Pope Paul VI who lifted that confinement and indeed in 1999, Pope John Paul II beatified Padre Pio after it was certified that he had performed one miracle and a second miracle was performed apparently in the year 2000, which eventually opened the way for this canonization process here in St. Peter's Square.

Again more than 250,000 people, 4,000 special busses, 50 special trains from throughout Italy brought all the pilgrims here united only by one thing, their faith in Padre Pio, a man today Pope John Paul II has elevated to sainthood.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com