Pope pays tribute to mystic monk who wrestled the devil

SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO: Pope Francis prayed on Saturday before the body of one of Catholicism’s most popular saints, Padre Pio, a mystic monk who is said to have wrestled with the Devil.

It was Francis’ first visit as pope to this hill town in southern Italy that is a main stop along the country’s pilgrim route linking places where saints are buried.

The bearded Capuchin monk, who died in 1968 after spending most of his life here, is said by the Catholic Church to have had the “stigmata”—the bleeding wounds of Jesus on his hands and feet. He wore brown half-gloves to cover the wounds and absorb the blood from his palms.

Many people said Pio knew what they were about to confess. He is said to have told then-bishop Karol Wojytla of Poland in the mid-1960s that he would become pope. Wojtyla became Pope John Paul in 1978 and in 2002 declared Pio a saint.

Padre Pio’s biographers say he wrestled with the Devil regularly in his cell in a small monastery that is now the centerpiece of a sprawling complex receiving more than a million pilgrims a year.

Francis made a reference to Pio’s battles with the Devil earlier on Saturday when he visited Pietrelcina, the village where Pio was born in 1887. “His soul was greatly tormented,” Francis said in improvised remarks. To herald the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018, a “Celebration of the Commonwealth” service was held at Westminster Abbey. The service brought together many leaders of different faiths from 53 nations. Her Majesty the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth’s message gave thanks to what we learn from others and how consensus and commitment can create a more prosperous, sustainable future.

On arrival, guests were greeted by One-Drum, Ghanaian musicians playing Kpanlogo music. The gathering of faith communities included Bogoda Seelawimala, representing Buddhists; rabbi Debbie Young-Somers, representing the Jewish Reformed Synagogues, and rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein, representing Liberal Judaism and rabbi Jason Kleiman, representing Orthodox Judaism; Malcolm M. Deboo, representing the Zoroastrian community; Trupti Patel, representing the Hindu community; Dr Natubhai Shah, representing the Jain community; Lord Singh of Wimbledon, representing the Sikh community; Maulana Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, representing the Shia Muslim community; Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, representing the Sunni Muslim community; and Patrick O’Mara, representing the Bahai community. The representatives of the Christian Churches were the Dr Martyn Atkins from the Methodist Church, Andrea Price from the Church of Scotland, Archbishop Athana-