Renewal of Religious Life?(Saint Padre Pio)
There are other scenes from his life that are full of meaning, for example, his
reactions to the aggiornamento the religious orders concocted in the wake of
Vatican II.(The citations here are taken from a book bearing an imprimatur):
In 1966, the Father General [of the Franciscans] came to Rome prior to the special Chapter on the Constitutions in order to ask Padre Pia for his prayers and benedictions. He met Padre Pio in
the cloister. "Padre, I came to recommend to your prayers the special chapter for the new Constitutions ..." He had scarcely
gotten the words "special Chapter" ..."new Constitutions" out of his mouth when Padre Pio made a violent gesture and cried out:
"That is all nothing but destructive nonsense." "But Padre, after all, there is the younger generation to take into account... the
youth evolve after their own fashion ... there are new demands ..."
"The only thing missing is mind and heart, that's all, understanding, and love." Then he proceeded to his cell, did a half-turn, and pointed his finger, saying: "We must not denature ourselves, we must not denature ourselves! At the Lord's
judgment, St. Francis will not recognize us as his sons!" A year later, the same scene was repeated for the aggiornamento of the Capuchins:
One day, some confreres were discussing with the Father Definiteur General
[The counselor or adviser to the general or provincial of a religious order -
Ed.] the problems in the Order, when Padre Pio, taking a shocked attitude,
cried out, with a distant look in his eye: "What in the world are you up to in
Rome? What are you scheming? You even want to change the Rule of St.Francis!" The Definiteur replied: "Padre, changes are being proposed
because the youth don't want to have anything to do with the tonsure, the habit, bare feet....
"Chase them out! Chase them out! What can you be saying? Is it they who are doing St. Francis a favor by taking the habit and following his way of life, or rather, isn't it St. Francis who is
offering them a great gift?"
If we consider that Padre Pio was a veritable alter Christus, that his entire
person, body and soul, was as perfectly conformed as possible to that of Jesus Christ, his stark refusal to accept the Novus Ordo and the
aggiornamento should be for us a lesson to learn. It is also noteworthy that the good Lord desired to recall His faithful servant just before they were implacably imposed on the Church and the Capuchin Order. Noteworthy,too, is the fact that Katarina Tangari, one of Padre Pio's most privileged spiritual daughters, so admirably supported the priests [of the SSPX] of Econe until her death, one year after the episcopal consecrations of 1988.
