I'm sure the pictures give it away but to be extra clear for those with no interests in bible anything or attached to their own religion specific learned ideologies/traditions to move along at your own convenience before too much time invested into reading. This will be obviously another deep dive session of bible/sacred study my way with an open mind as I compile the different reads along my own personal discoveries when it comes to life in general, where we come from? Where are we going? What to think of it all? It's no secret that I have my opinions on the Catholic religion as a whole as far as their actions around the world for probably genuine reasons, doesn't mean I'm willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater, there is still some stellar knowledge and figures to have been prominent within the Catholic church worthy of study, you just have to dig a little deeper for the good gems.
It's no secret by now, I study some of the oddest or oldest things ever written (if you only knew what I don't share...lol), meaning equally strong faith to balance it all out into some form of understanding. There is so much to interpret in this one. With my extra curricular hauntings from who knows where for sure, the provenance doesn't matter as much when you have a good arsenal in the God/ancestral spirit blob thing we refer to as our aura to put it in new age terms, however you want to call it. I call it such because I had a near death with trials and it's hard to describe. All one voice thru one ancestor but they are multiple spirits with different requests/messages that may or may not be related by dna, some by other means...ghostly family friends? Who knows. It's fun to explore and learn. Don't know till you look.
How can I put it into a visual...God being an outer layer bag like a set of spiritual Russian nesting doll that hold many ancestral like minded spirits aka books from the library of life. Why knowing saints has it's attributes. They were human. A portal, a gateway for information circulation to other humans and a better understanding of human relations and it's flaws and analyze for potential cures/fixes. So in theory, when you talk to an angel, on a technicality you are talking to an entire order of the like. Starts with a sanctified human passing thru a specific lineage of ancestral knowledge or duties. A "god bag" holds angels and an "angel bag" holds saints willingly working in purgatory directing traffic as a self sacrifice to mankind and a "saint bag", in the "saint bag" is where you find good specialized priests, ancestors or other appropriate knowledge and along with ease of finding it according to what specific discipline one wants to learn with our human self/mind in the middle of all the layers as the protected earthly seed to be cultivated. When studying grey concepts, that's where it's saints come in handy to direct learning traffic. At last, someone willing to dig deep in the dark soil for secret gems for us.
Some might perceive the idea as weird of improbable, recognize it or not, we are all wired that way some perhaps recognize it more then others. What are the criteria's? Is it genetic predisposition? Baptism to what faith/anointments? A long lineage of cultivated family traditions? Commitment? I'm sure like anything, the possibilities are endless. Most of us would like to think on the rational minded side of things and say commitment to ancestral values passed down. Padre Pio is just the man that will make you scratch your head over the potential existence of the supernatural both demonic and angelic and their potential for interactions with the living even from the grave in ways you would never know until you know, and then it's so blatantly obvious you can't even deny it no matter how skeptical one might be.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padre_Pio
To match the already supernatural occurrences surrounding him at times controversial practice overseeing recruiting exorcists to his ranks and as an actual recorded both by the Vatican and medicine of his time, a STIGMATIZED human wearing the wounds of the stigmata for approximately 50 years meanwhile doing his mass and confessional practice at Saint Giovani Rotunda. Hands, feet and side. Photo proof and many testimonies to go along with it that suddenly vanished without a trace at the moment of his death returning his body to an immaculate state of peace for his eternal rest, or willful unrest. He likes good clean priestly jokes that one despite how stern many have described him. One thing for certain, he was one of the most sought after priest the world had at the time, probably remain unmatched in that front. For his entire priesthood, there was line ups as the crowds of faithful came from around the world just for a chance to attend one of his mass or catch a glimpse or even fortunate enough for eye contact as he walked by.
His big controversy with the Vatican besides his recruitment of equally controversial fire demon chasing exorcism priests always getting into some unholy trouble yet somehow almost knew demons better than they knew themselves? He was another Marianist priest. Yes, his controversy, seeing Mother Mary as an EQUAL with her own set of duties into the sacred circle of Catholicism as a prominent protector, intercessor and negotiator for liberation of various things from demon activity to physical illness or other guidance. God is the light and mother Mary is a light in the dark, the candle or torch that carries it to humans. He was a man of honor and lived by his word, perhaps what also led to his fast growing popularity giving him the ability to grow his dreams as a priest raising funds to help the community as a whole with much needed services and do good deeds for the sick by opening a hospital/care center in his home refuge of 15 000 citizens with many more miraculous testimonies were born based around his interactions and blessings.
This was Father Amorth's mentor and recruiter. Named The Pope's Exorcist as the most experienced demonologist the Vatican or the world had seen by Jean-Paul II. I mentioned him and his books a few months back. I have to correct myself, the exorcist was someone else perhaps but the one mentioned in the comments was the correct title. I did indeed watch The Pope's Exorcist movie, I don't watch too many but that was one worth watching, it builds a nice story. That too made me laugh way too hard. Of course probably not the standard reaction but if you have lived it you know, the movie isn't even terrifying at that point. The same lady that corrected the title name of the movie wondered if it was overdone for showmanship. From my experience, I saw most of those things except the levitation or spitting out stuff but the rest, it explained a lot. Well then, I suppose I had come to the correct conclusion all on my own and pretty accurately, even as a 16 year old, this was confirmation. Somehow even got to the right priest. Somehow. Was it God directly? Was it Padre Pio? Both? Is there a difference?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13375076/
You saw the photos in my neighborhood, he's the arson/fire demon and can possess well, to put it mildly, whatever/whomever it wants except the purer the harder why the stigmata on the priest, his punishment for not succumbing to temptation/sin. The same fire demon was probably Padre Pio's enemy, why he hired crazy genius priest, his demony spiciness that equals with Neon Gervaise fall out demon helped him gain knowledge and insight important to understanding well, demonology. The work is far from complete but each contributor adds to the bank of information available. That's actually how you sit that thing down, make bad conversation jokes with it that antagonize it just as much. Strange but true. He actually also reveals valuable information after. Exercising that thing is a whole stepped ordeal. Padre Pio and his stigmata, I would also translate as Padre Pio and Father Amorth as ancestral custodians, the knowledge and tools already in their spirit, having their own century old exorcist priests from the grave. Given that they were at their post during world war one and also alive and practicing during world war two, at the same time we had Nazi Germany and the rise of the Anti-Christ. Was the stigmata related? Was it a coincidence?
Naturally, the first book I wanted to formally present was from the Exorcist mastermind himself and his personal stories and perspective on his recruiter and greatest mentor for his entire priesthood. Being a published author explaining his own practice and journey leaving us with a last minute gift devotional to the Sacred Mother along with a series of informative easily readable and comprehensible books on his observations/perspective and practice developed over the decades that completely differs from the movie. Padre Pio was not only his dedicated mentor but his chosen life long confessor especially before doing exorcisms and after to cleanse.
This 149 page book is dedicated to his favorite encounters and thoughts as he watched his mentor go thru his own trials and victories expanding the minds of the many and bringing a new unique experience or intake on religious occurrences or how he lived, maintaining is gentle joking nature behind the scene with his student priests and proteges. Lovely book. Father Amorth is kind but strait to the point as one would expect, he did learn from the best after all. Father Amorth is also deceased having practiced well into old age and vowed to continue from the grave as he smiles down on his students and most certainly does. A haunting heavenly pair. You can both haunt me anytime. The practice of exorcism has been a controversial practice thru the ages going in and out of favor, the practice going dormant. The revival stems from the Benedictine monastery movement that revived a practice that had been dormant for almost 300 years without any considerable records of practice associated with the church at least available publicly. A lost craft.
The second book I would like to present is actually part 2, I have yet to buy or read part one, oops. It doesn't matter. Authored by Dianne Allen, a team went across the world searching for personal stories and testimonies of those who did get to experience his grace in person, His presence and their thoughts on their encounter no matter how great or small. Just regular folk like you or I that decided to take part in a pilgrimage to Saint Giovani Rotunda for a visit, where he spent most of his years. His personal practice wasn't exorcisms per say, he oversaw much of it and trained the priests but his main practice was confessionals and long masses inviting the presence of the lord going on for up to 4 hours yet no one could walk out until the end, actually generally asked for more. The man had quite an impact on his global following.
This book (part 2 only) has approximately 500 pages explaining some of his life and practice to explain context but the meat and potatoes of this book is centered around the various testimonies. Some from his pilgrims, some from more personal relationships or returned yearly pilgrimages and the disappointment that could be experienced with not getting the anticipated reaction from Their Padre of choice along with the understanding gained when they realized why and had their own epiphany about the moment good or bad. He his described as both soft yet stern. Like he could see sin, conscience, right thru the soul as a person entered. He could see intent before they even opened their mouth, before they even showed at the door. Made many personal prophecies for many that did come true.
Reading the different experiences was intriguing. Many didn't stop at the Rotunda and the pilgrimage, many experienced him even at a distance, just praying for his intercession. Not only those who had met him in presence but also those who would just pray and ask. They had some interesting stories to tell about smells, dreams, noises, ghost blessings. Soft words of wisdom whispered but nobody there to claim them. Did I just dream this? Was this real? Too many repeat of similar phenomena's experienced to even attempt to dispute the claims. So come from both while he was alive and in death, direct from the grave. He has a thing with spiritual children. Of course I have to elaborate!
Of course, the more I read the book, the more I started to giggle by myself like a maniac, just like Father Amorth's literature and movie reaction, too many things were too familiar, consistent yet I either dismissed them or still never found it's provenance. I suppose, this one will dip into the child self a little. At my NDE/trials 3 years ago, one of the spirits within God said something about the lack of proper male role models in my life since I was born and how he felt about it and if I would be open to be adopted by him and that he could do a much better job from the grave then what I've experienced in the human form. I wasn't sure who it was but he was in the god spirit bag thing and felt comforting like a Grampa so , I accepted. He was probably right anyway and who am I to argue.
Well turns out, I read story after story of him adopting "Spiritual Children" being one of his things. I don't mind a good priest haunting, a nice break from the others. I just read this now a few days ago 3 years after an actual verbal message experience while I was awake. Not a dream. Maybe poisoned or whatever else but this was something else. I even found a page word for word the message he told me about another matter, it made me cry but a good cry, a somehow comforting one, like the warm ghost hand I often gently felt on my shoulder at different points of hardships in my life but not quite sure where it came from. Because he left messages in the book too for un-named spiritual children, like he knew ahead of time what we would need to hear 100 years later. That was trippy. But all thru the book, so many familiarities that it is undeniable.
What does it take to be one of his "spiritual children"? Well that is described in the book so you are going to have to read it to find out for sure. Although yes some are priests but most were just ordinary people. Lets remember, he saw/sees stuff others miss somehow, perhaps attention to detail mixed with strong intuition and holy presence that was described to be surrounding him at all times gave him additional intel. It is unknown how many "Spiritual Children" he made this promise to, hundreds? Thousands? One thing for sure, every one of them including myself can attest he does indeed deliver to the point you can see an image of him smiling in your head when you make the realization. A good heart, commitment to learning sacred practices in a genuine way rather than just when required, expanding knowledge and perspective as humanity evolves. Shared values or vision, intention for the world perhaps. Once again, the possibilities are endless. No need to be perfect or headed for sainthood, just trying to be a better human trying to leave a better world then it's current state. Having lived in Europe thru 2 major world wars, I'm sure he has seen what humanity is capable of in the worst of times.
Now another curious feature, this one made me turn my head sideways and smile. No way! OK, this is where we go back to childhood. I could smell this strange flower smell at random but I could never pin point because it just didn't make any sense. One school homework, we used to get stickers on top for a job well done, in second grade, one teacher went all out and got scratch and sniff stickers and it was a treat to us, we must have done really well! It smelled very much the same. The closest thing I could identify it to for the rest of my life.
When we visited my grampa out of town as a child, he used to heat with a wood fireplace in the basement and would get up at 3 am every morning to restock wood before the fire went out. I slept in the basement and it would wake me up and I would go say hi and chat for a bit before we both went back to bed. That's where and when I smelled it the most often, just at random, when it should have smelled like fireplace and burning wood, it could somehow over power it. My grampa was a proud man and freshly shaven every morning and cologne but that wasn't his scent and he wasn't quite his proud daily image at 3 am either.
I continued to randomly smell it and refer to it as...What is that scratch and sniff sticker smell? I don't even know where it comes from. Just as fast as I smell it, it's gone. Just like that. It's unique. In the book, everyone even strangers experiences Padre Pio's spiritual visit in a similar matter. This was described when he was alive from the sick in American hospitals praying to him while he is at his post at the rotunda giving mass. Many have described it as a current phenomenon as well. I'm completely sold. So I have had my own personal watcher priest since I was little. Good to know. My grampa's second wife did have a Mary shrine in the spare bedroom where I slept when we visited, next to the wood stove. I suppose that's probably a good Marianist Priest attractant for protection blessings and peaceful sleep! Yes both sides of grandparents followed similar Mother Mary worship despite it's controversial nature in our local mass or teachings.
I saved the best for last, this is a short almost 40 page read, in part devotional to Mother Mary written by the man himself during a controversial time. He still dared. They tried to burry his communications and writing publishing but here we are, we have them anyway. Thank you Padre Pio for this brief yet powerful blessing and shared wisdom. He has a few, I just got one for now to test, a future book order is just a matter of time anyway. He has one on the sufferance of Jesus as well. In this charming read, there is a middle section with black and white photo prints taken during his tenure with a brief description on the action being performed. It would be nice for the Catholic church historians or students could transcribe more of his work along with Father Amorth's work or literature acceptable for intellectual consumption and preserve their wisdom in the human form with our actions.
How did it get here? Well I did say he has a HAUNTING presence and I mean it. I welcome it and think it's funny just how much he can mess with things aka get noticed if he wants to be. I had taken a break from reading and my studies. I was taking a tour of the state of affairs and news. In every news no matter the station, the word PIO kept appearing somewhere in the background on random businesses, over and over and over. Padre Pio something trolling me all over social media in multiple forms. OMG. I took the hint and went on Amazon and gathered a few books to read on who he was. This is the start of it. I must have passed his exam to be his student of some sort then, whatever that exam might have been. I welcome it, I don't need to know right now. I enjoy a good priestly haunting mystery anyway. A holy breadcrumb trail. Maybe he'll find a way to get me adoption papers in the mail. I wouldn't put it passed him but obviously a joke.
The first photo he is performing a baptism, in the second is tittled his last blessing. Now his last blessing can be eternal on the blockchain. Just thought that was an important picture. The Passion of the Christ.
Dumb jokes aside, I highly recommend reading up on him he does have some great things to teach everyone even from the grave, no need to conjure that one up like a maniac witcharoo, he comes for check ups and tell santa if you been good or bad, he's the one that knows. After reading the first batch I was impressed enough that I have another probably over 500 page book to read about his actual biography and practice rather than a collection of testimonies. I'm excited to dive deeper into this one. There is quite a selection available on him already. For now, these make a great introduction of a great man that lived a century ago yet continues to have ripples on our society spreading his message of peace. If you can't interpret ghosts, no worries, he comes in book form too...Strait to the point. Busy man with no time to waste, always has 3 things on the go.
Work in Peace, because we know anyone who has heard of you that serving your spiritual children in your fatherly duties is your heaven. Thank you for your sacrifice and wisdom you turned it into for us to learn generations later.