Visit of St. Padre Pio's incorrupt heart should inspire Filipinos to be holy
DAVAO CITY – The visit of the incorrupt heart of St. Padre Pio, an Italian priest and a mystic known to have received the gift of stigmata or the wounds of Christ, should inspire the Filipinos to be holy to change the social and political ills of the nation.
This was disclosed by Fr. Ilde Dimaano, social communications director of the Archdiocese of Lipa who is also representative of the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Batangas.
Dimaano said that he believed that this was the message of Padre Pio’s heart relic visit to Catholic and non-Catholics.
He said the political structure alone can only do so much to address what ills the country, saying that holiness can bring about orderliness and inspire people to live morally upright lives.
He said holiness did not have to be confined within the walls of the church and that people should embrace it as their way of life as did Padre Pio before.
“Hindi natin kailangan mag-awayaway. Ang kinakailangan natin magunawaan yan ang kabanalan. At ang kabanalan hindi tinatago sa loob ng simbahan. Ang kabanalan ay kahit saan ka pumunta (We do not need to fight. What we need is understanding – that’s holiness. The holiness should not be concealed inside the church. Holiness is that wherever you go) there must be good in your heart,” he added.
He encouraged devotees to follow St. Padre Pio’s reflections – “pray, hope, don’t worry.”
An estimated crowd of about 50,000 devotees from around Davao Region attended the Eucharistic celebration and public veneration of the incorrupt heart of St. Padre Pio on Sunday.
The Archdiocese of Davao was the fourth destination of the 22-day visit of the relic in the country.
His heart, considered as a “first class relic,” arrived on Sunday morning from Cebu.
A predominantly Catholic nation, the Philippines was the fourth country visited by the relic this year and the first in Asia, he said. It has also visited US, Argentina, and Portugal.
A series of masses were scheduled at the cathedral on Monday.
On Tuesday, the relic will be brought to the Regional Major Seminary (REMASE) in Catalunan Grande in the morning but the activity will only be for priests and consecrated persons.
The relic will be returned to the cathedral late afternoon for a scheduled 5:30 p.m. mass, while a farewell concelebrated mass will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
“The occasion is almost a miracle as to have been visited by the heart relic of Padre Pio is impossible because it’s hard to bring out of Italy, which considers it a national treasure,” Dimaano said.