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"We inscribe in the roll of saints, and we declare in the entire Church that he is honoured with devotion among the
saints"
With this words, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Saint Padre Pio from Pietrelcina. It was on 16 June, 2002, at 10.25. Under a searing Roman sun, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, coming from every part of the world in the name of love and faith, gathered in Rome to witness a ceremony which makes a saint of one of Catholicism's most popular and controversial figures, Padre Pio.
Pope John Paul II is said to have a special affection for Padre Pio, and during the celebration recited the first payer to Padre Pio that he has written.
The Pope has established that Padre Pio will be commemorated on 23 September, the day of his
death.
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