SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, Italy (CNS): Almost 40 years after his death, the body of St Padre Pio shows uneven signs of decay, but can be treated in a way that will make it possible to place the body on display for the veneration of the faithful, the local archbishop said.
Archbishop Domenico D’Ambrosio, papal delegate for the saint’s shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, presided over the exhumation of the body in a service that began at 10pm on March 2 and ended more than two hours later.
In a statement released on March 3, the archbishop said the exhumation and subsequent procedures would guarantee the “prolonged preservation of the body of our saint to allow generations to come the possibility of venerating and safeguarding his relics”.
The statement said the body of the saint, who died on September 26, 1968, was in “fair condition”.
Archbishop D’Ambrosio told reporters that the saint’s hands were well preserved and “looked like they had just had a manicure”.
The archbishop also said the saint’s feet were clearly visible; the Capuchins traditionally are buried barefoot.
The Capuchins of San Giovanni Rotondo, who were represented at the exhumation, said the skull and parts of the upper body showed serious signs of decay.
The body will be placed in a new glass coffin and is scheduled to be in place for public viewing beginning April 24.
