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Padre Pio Under Investigation: The Secret Vatican Files
On June 14, 1921, a priest knocks at the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo. He is in his early forties and wears a simple cassock, but he is no ordinary priest. He is Bishop Raffaello Carlo Rossi, future cardinal and the Apostolic Visitor sent by the Holy Office to secretly investigate Padre Pio. The Bishop Inquisitor remains with the Capuchin Brothers for eight days, interrogating and recording depositions. He also interviews Padre Pio himself and examins the mysterious wounds of Christ that he bears on his body.
After gathering all the evidence, the Inquisitor sketches his own evaluation of Padre Pio, which includes his reasons for believing that the stigmata are of divine origin. He sends his report and the depositions to Rome, where they stay buried for nearly a century. Now, forty years after the saint's death, these exceptional documents are published in their entirety, thanks to the skillful research of Father Francesco Castelli.
The documents in this book reveal every aspect of Padre Pio's life from his amazing supernatural gifts to his health. In his depositions, he admits, under oath, to the phenomenon of bi-location and to other supernatural charisms, and for the first time tells the detailed story of his stigmatization. Also included are letters from his spiritual father and a chronology of his life.
Preface by Vittorio Messori.
After gathering all the evidence, the Inquisitor sketches his own evaluation of Padre Pio, which includes his reasons for believing that the stigmata are of divine origin. He sends his report and the depositions to Rome, where they stay buried for nearly a century. Now, forty years after the saint's death, these exceptional documents are published in their entirety, thanks to the skillful research of Father Francesco Castelli.
The documents in this book reveal every aspect of Padre Pio's life from his amazing supernatural gifts to his health. In his depositions, he admits, under oath, to the phenomenon of bi-location and to other supernatural charisms, and for the first time tells the detailed story of his stigmatization. Also included are letters from his spiritual father and a chronology of his life.
Preface by Vittorio Messori.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 24, 2015
I put this book down a little disappointed that the investigation did not pursue the carbolic acid issue further. The proffered explanation for the presence of carbolic acid in padre pio's monastery - that the brothers used it to play pranks on one another- sounds highly dubious but the investigation basically accepts it at face value. I would have been interested in more details about the feasibility of creating fake stigmata for years on end with carbolic acid.
February 5, 2018
Padre Pio is a fascinating individual who has a history of being accused by detractors of charlatanism, madness, and more while his followers attributed to him divine powers. An Italian monk, he showed signs of the stigmata (bleeding from his hands as well as feet) for decades while serving as a rallying cry for the Catholic Church in the 20th century.
The Vatican conducted a thorough investigation of him and, eventually, determined him to be a saint. Much controversy remains about him and this book handles the Vatican's meticulous investigation into his stigmata and the story of his reputed powers. Along the way, he was accused of improper conduct with women and finances along with faking his stigmata with acid. This book is the original documents and interviews conducted by the Vatican to deal with all of these stories.
The story, honestly, may be fantastical than people attribute it but it certainly less lurid. The book more or less convinced me of Padre Pio's stigmata or at least that he wasn't faking it as the condition he suffered from was bleeding from his hands, side, and feet constantly but with no sign of damage done to his body. The Vatican determined he was bleeding from his skin and that's not the kind of thing you can really fake.
The accusations of impropriety with women and finances get fairly thoroughly debunked as Padre Pio was, being a monk, almost never alone with anyone for more than a few minutes in his life and seems to have gotten the reputation due to having a group of "fangirls" who carried his picture on their person due to his reputed holiness. The financial business is also analyzed with Padre Pio never handling money himself or using it for anything but a hospital.
Much of the book's other material deals with the fact Padre Pio was prone to being treated with sensationalism by his fellow monks as well as the public at large. Padre Pio, more or less, denies he ever wrote a letter in Greek or had the ability to speak multiple languages he shouldn't know. He denies most (but curiously not all) acts of bi-location. He also states it is not within his ability to call down miracles and several of the miracles attributed to him are investigated before being refuted.
These include a hunchback whose condition improved but did not disappear, a Chancellor's son who got better then got worse, and a man who stopped using two crutches (because he started using only one). Among the interviews are with people who were hoping to see miracles who had come to work beside Padre Pio and stated, essentially, he was a decent but seemingly ordinary man.
The investigations tell a story of stigmata and a good humble monk but challenge the depiction of the padre as a fountain of the supernatural. Yet, the stigmata was real. Was it divinely inspired? Padre Pio and the Catholic Church thought so but he also finds it a source of constant pain and irritation rather than pure religious exaltation. That, for me, was the clearest sign it was something real because we humans are capable of complaining about all things wondrous.
The Vatican conducted a thorough investigation of him and, eventually, determined him to be a saint. Much controversy remains about him and this book handles the Vatican's meticulous investigation into his stigmata and the story of his reputed powers. Along the way, he was accused of improper conduct with women and finances along with faking his stigmata with acid. This book is the original documents and interviews conducted by the Vatican to deal with all of these stories.
The story, honestly, may be fantastical than people attribute it but it certainly less lurid. The book more or less convinced me of Padre Pio's stigmata or at least that he wasn't faking it as the condition he suffered from was bleeding from his hands, side, and feet constantly but with no sign of damage done to his body. The Vatican determined he was bleeding from his skin and that's not the kind of thing you can really fake.
The accusations of impropriety with women and finances get fairly thoroughly debunked as Padre Pio was, being a monk, almost never alone with anyone for more than a few minutes in his life and seems to have gotten the reputation due to having a group of "fangirls" who carried his picture on their person due to his reputed holiness. The financial business is also analyzed with Padre Pio never handling money himself or using it for anything but a hospital.
Much of the book's other material deals with the fact Padre Pio was prone to being treated with sensationalism by his fellow monks as well as the public at large. Padre Pio, more or less, denies he ever wrote a letter in Greek or had the ability to speak multiple languages he shouldn't know. He denies most (but curiously not all) acts of bi-location. He also states it is not within his ability to call down miracles and several of the miracles attributed to him are investigated before being refuted.
These include a hunchback whose condition improved but did not disappear, a Chancellor's son who got better then got worse, and a man who stopped using two crutches (because he started using only one). Among the interviews are with people who were hoping to see miracles who had come to work beside Padre Pio and stated, essentially, he was a decent but seemingly ordinary man.
The investigations tell a story of stigmata and a good humble monk but challenge the depiction of the padre as a fountain of the supernatural. Yet, the stigmata was real. Was it divinely inspired? Padre Pio and the Catholic Church thought so but he also finds it a source of constant pain and irritation rather than pure religious exaltation. That, for me, was the clearest sign it was something real because we humans are capable of complaining about all things wondrous.
May 25, 2016
Informative but repetitive
As this was the first book I read about Padre Pio, I was looking for a reliable biographical sketch. However this book is merely a record of and commentary on The findings of the first apostolic visitor from the holy office. The first quarter of the book or so is the author's commentary liberally interspersed with quotations from the findings. The second part is a transcript of the findings themselves. At this point however so much of them has been quoted in the previous section, that the second section seems almost redundant. There then follows a brief biographical sketch of the apostolic visitor, Padre Pio, and Padre Pio's spiritual director.
This book seems to have been written as a defense of Padre Pio's sanctity and later canonization, rather than as a book about the Saint himself.
As this was the first book I read about Padre Pio, I was looking for a reliable biographical sketch. However this book is merely a record of and commentary on The findings of the first apostolic visitor from the holy office. The first quarter of the book or so is the author's commentary liberally interspersed with quotations from the findings. The second part is a transcript of the findings themselves. At this point however so much of them has been quoted in the previous section, that the second section seems almost redundant. There then follows a brief biographical sketch of the apostolic visitor, Padre Pio, and Padre Pio's spiritual director.
This book seems to have been written as a defense of Padre Pio's sanctity and later canonization, rather than as a book about the Saint himself.
May 5, 2012
Padre Pio Under Investigation is a must-read for any Padre Pio devotee. I've read various works on Padre Pio, but this by far is the most humanizing work I've come across. Not in the sense that it strips Padre of his sanctity or the marvel of his stigmata, etc. Rather, it shows him to be a man faithful to Christ, doing his best to complete his earthly mission, who happens to be stricken with a painful blessing. It shows him not to be outside of the realm of possibility; this work is hope-inspiring, demonstrating that normal persons can, through the grace of God, become saints.
March 31, 2020
I will preface this review with the fact that this would not be a good introductory book on Padre Pio. I am a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio. I have been to San Giovanni Rotondo and have read almost every book there is about him. This book would not be for those who want to learn about him as a holy man of God, because it is not written as a narrative. It is a book of depositions that the Church conducted to investigate what was true and false regarding this man. So, in 1921, the Bishop Inquisitor begins interrogating the Capuchin brothers who lived with Padre Pio, along with the Saint's own depositions. It is as if you are in the Vatican, looking through their reports. I am glad I read it, as I am always skeptical, but I have great faith in this man.
February 22, 2019
I chose this book because I had heard about the miraculous attributes of Padre Pio and wanted to learn more about them, but this book did not fulfill that expectation. It is not that it is a bad book; it is that the book did not happen to be matched to what I thought I would be reading and wanted to read. I actually found it easier to read than I expected and rather interesting, until I began to read the same elements over and over. The book is good, if you like rereading about various aspects of the investigation multiple (and I do mean multiple) times, perhaps one or two dozen times with regards to some information.
Five stars for Padre Pio, though.
Five stars for Padre Pio, though.
October 31, 2025
This book was truly fascinating. Naturally so, as it highlights one of the most prolific saints in all of history. If you're new to Padre Pio, I wouldn't recommend this right off the bat, as it seems to work better as a sort of textbook that verifies and studies so many mysteries that have come to be known about him. It's also less of a book and more of a collection of documents, but it grants such an up close and personal insight into those who were a witness to the Padre and what kind of reactions he stirred. The idea behind "investigating" the mystical aspects of his life were an immediate sell for me, and to be able to read his own words on the matters at hand was an absolute gift. Padre Pio, pray for us!
December 26, 2017
A million stars for Padre Pio himself.
3 for this because it's pretty repetitive. But amazing source documents.
3 for this because it's pretty repetitive. But amazing source documents.
January 30, 2021
After hearing so much about Padre Pio, it was good to read what the Vatican investigator actually found to be the case. I especially liked reading the quoted answers from Padre Pio himself.
March 26, 2025
Pretty repetitive and not as good as other Padre Pio books I've read
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews