Cult of the Saints

Padre Pio was an Italian monk who apparently bore the stigmata, the bleeding wounds of Christ in his hands and feet. Forty years ago, he died and was soon proclaimed a saint by the Roman Catholic church. Now his body has been exhumed and put on display for veneration. His body, of course, had decayed–which was doubtless a disappointment to those looking for that miraculous sign of sanctity, a body that did not decompose–but a lifelike silicon mask and other reconstruction has made the body presentable. See Thousands flock to exhumed body of saint Padre Pio , which includes this sad sentence:

“A poll in 2006 by Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana found that more Italian Catholics prayed to Padre Pio than to any other figure, including the Virgin Mary or Jesus.”