Relic religiosity

The veneration of relics is tragically alive and well.

This September, a relic of the heart of Saint Pio (Padre Pio) will be exposed for veneration in San Giovanni Rotondo (southern Italy), where Saint Pio (1887–1968) lived most of his life and is buried.

Thousands of Roman Catholic pilgrims are expected to pray before the relic, asking Saint Pio for a blessing for their lives. Pope Benedict XVI (1927–2022) blessed the relic in 2019; this is the first time it will be exposed again after that event, and there are expectations of big crowds travelling to pay tribute to it. The cult of Saint Pio and his relics is deeply felt in the Roman Catholic world to the point that there is a ‘Padre Pio Relic Tour’.