The friendship between John Paul II and Padre Pio
Today we tell you how the friendship between John Paul II and Padre Pio, starting from the first meeting. Neither 1948 Karol Wojtyla he was a young priest who had moved from Poland to Rome to obtain a doctorate in theology.
During that time he heard a lot about Padre Pio, so during the Easter holidays he decided to go to San Giovanni Rotondo. When he attended theEucharist of the friar felt a great emotion and was able to perceive even the physical suffering that the friar felt during that period.
The first exchange of letters between the two occurred when Karol sent a letter to Padre Pio asking him to pray for a Polish woman, mother of 4 daughters in danger of life due to cancer.
The second letter was written by Karol to inform Padre Pio that the woman miraculously regained her health even before being operated on.
ll 16 October 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla was elected Pope in 1982 Karol himself signed the letter for the opening of the process of beatification of the friar of Pietralcina.
Il November 1, 1974 he went to the tomb of Padre Pio and wrote a thought that is still engraved on the tombstone in the crypt.
The visit of Pope John Paul II to San Giovanni Rotondo
Pope John Paul II went to San Giovanni Rotondo on 23 March 1987, during his sixth trip to Italy. This visit was very special because San Giovanni Rotondo was the place where Padre Pio had lived most of his life and where he had founded his own hospital.
The Pope came in helicopter and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of faithful. He visited theSt John's Hospital Round and met the sick and their health personnel. These patients were largely poor and needy and Padre Pio had set up the hospital to help them.
Dad Please in front of the tomb of Padre Pio in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and was taken on a tour of the Capuchin convent. Here he met many Capuchin friars and conferred with them on their efforts to help the poor and needy.
This visit of the Pope to San Giovanni Rotondo was a moment of greatness emozione for the local community and for all those who loved and esteemed Padre Pio.