PADRE PIO and Cleonice: 101 Q&A

Statements made by Padre Pio, and his answers to questions by Cleonice Morcaldi.

 “The Lord gave me a great mission that is known only to Him and me.”[1]

“Many secrets of my life will only be revealed up there.”[2]

“I am only sure of one thing: that my heart loves a lot; it’s made to love.”[3]

“I suffer when I don’t suffer.”[4]

“Suffering is my daily bread; my delight.”[5]

Who are you? “I am the torment of souls. I am a devouring fire, burning everything inside me.”[6]

Close to you it’s a lot of suffering. “Because you are close to a crucified father.”[7]

“I work to give my children the heritage.”[8]

Padre Pio told some spiritual children gathered after confession: “I can forget myself, but not my children; I tell you that when the Lord will call me,

I will stay at the door of paradise and I will tell Him: ‘Lord, I do not enter before I see that all my children have entered.’ ”[9]

Did you really say that? “I made this proposal to the Lord. I don’t know if He accepts it.”[10]

 “I can forget myself, but not the children that cost me blood: I promise you that I will stay at the door of paradise until I will see in the last of my children.”[11]

After last mass: “My children!  My children!”[12]

“Lord, give me all the sadness and pains of my brothers.”[13]

Can faith grow? “Yes, the apostles prayed: Lord, increase our faith.”[14]

How do we sanctify the action of eating? “Eat with temperance, only to preserve life.”[15]

 “The Guardian angel never lives us. He guides us; he gives us good inspirations and protects us from the enemies.”[16]

There is a prophecy that a friar of Saint Francis will bring to God a third of the world. “More, more.”[17]

Padre, you are a good man. “Good man? If you knew me you would run away from me. The greatest criminal on earth is a gentleman compared to me.”[18]

I’m longing to see the face of Jesus. “Jesus said to Philip ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’. I tell you: whoever sees me sees Jesus.”[19]

Say something about Ascension. “There are two ascensions, one to the Calvary, and the other to heaven.”[20]

Did Jesus cry in Bethlehem? “Yes. He suffered like any other child.”[21]

“God doesn’t send souls to hell; they want to go.”[22]

“I have been down there with those miserable, and God let me feel the pain that the damned suffer.”[23]

Did the prophet Elijah die? “He disappeared in a chariot of fire. Maybe he is in paradise. He will come at the end of times to fight the Antichrist.”[24]

The name of the Apostles is written in heaven. “All the elects have their name written in heaven.”[25]

The friars say that the other night you were crying out frightened. “Nothing special.  It was just a scare. There was a snake under my shoulders.”[26]

Did you call the Madonna? “I did, but it didn’t want to leave. Afterwards it run away.”[27]

Do we confess some temptations? “Yes, so that satan is uncovered and runs away.”[28]

Do the temptations destroy the love of God? “They increase it, if you chase them away soon.”[29]

Is love a torment? “It is a torment, but a pleasant one.”[30]

Who are the children of perdition? “The most famous are those who quibble.”[31]

What are the talents mentioned in the Gospel? “The five senses, plus intellect and willpower.”[32]

In Paradise, with all that multitude of angels and saints won’t be difficult to have one to one conversations? “We will be alone, even if we will be in company.

Nobody will prevent us to communicate with whomever we want.”[33]

Was the Earthly Paradise located on Earth? “Yes. But the land of delights changed in tribulation and thorns.”[34]

Was the serpent tempting Eve an animal? “It was the devil talking through him”.[35]

When Adam was chased from the Earthly Paradise where did he go? “He stayed where he was. But the creation rebelled to him as he had rebelled to God.”[36]

Where were the Angels before the test? “They were in another world.[37]

After the test? “They went to Paradise.[38]

Where did Jesus in the desert sleep? “There was no bed.[39]

Why Jesus said to Mary: Don’t touch me. “To let her live of faith.”[40]

Didn’t she have faith? “No. Because she said: “Lord, if you were here my brother wouldn’t have died.’ ”[41]

“The centurion had faith when he said: You don’t need to come to the house. Just say a word and my servant will be healed.”[42]

I have been told that there are inhabited planets. I was shocked. “Why? You don’t want that there are other beings?

Like if the Omnipotence of God was limited to our little planet?”[43]

Because of a sin committed by Adam was necessary such a bloody redemption! “Who can understand what it means to rebel to God?.”[44]

Is the heart part of the soul? “The soul is one. It has different names according to the function. If it understands: intelligence; if remembers: memory; if loves, heart.”[45]

Do people in purgatory glorify God? “They glorify his justice. In purgatory one suffers terribly without any compensation or reward, and for so long.

It is better to suffer on earth, so that from the bed of death we pass soon to paradise.”[46]

When Dr. Sanguinetti died Padre Pio said: “There are some souls destined to a high grade of glory. If they have not reached it on earth, they reach it after a stop in purgatory.”[47]

Why did Judas betray Jesus? “For wickedness.”[48]

Peter disowned Jesus. “And that was a mortal sin.”[49]

John did run away too. “Yes but he didn’t disown.”[50]

  “The heavenly Father let me get on the cross of his Son, and I am sure that I will never get out of there.”[51]

“I feel well when I rest on the cross.”[52]

 “The Mass gives God infinite glory.”[53]

“The benefits of Mass cannot be enumerated. We will see in Paradise.”[54]

“I’d never leave the altar. I’d like to celebrate sixty Masses a day.”[55]

Do you wear the crown of thorns the whole time in the Mass? “Yes, and also before and after.”[56]

All day long? “The diadem is never removed.[57]

Which sins Jesus expiated with the coronation of thorns? “All of them, especially the sins of thought.”[58]

How many are the piercings of the crown of thorns? “Maybe thirty or three hundred.”[59]

Do you suffer scourging during Mass? “Yes, increasingly from the consecration to the communion.”[60]

How badly was beaten Jesus in the scourging? “The prophet tells us: “He became one sore; a leper.”[61]

When do you suffer death? “During the communion.”

The Mother of Sorrows is there too? “Yes. How could She not care about her Son. The whole paradise is there too.”[62]

Why you always cry during the three Masses of Christmas? “In the Mass God becomes victim for the salvation of men.

We priests are the butchers of the Lamb of God.”[63]

Do you also suffer abandonment and thirst? “For divine compliance I suffer everything that Jesus suffered,

the whole passion, as much as it is possible for a human creature.”[64]

Did they overturn the cross with Jesus on it to clinch the nails? “Yes.”[65]

Does Jesus comfort you during communion? “Yes, but with me still staying on the cross.”[66]

Is the Communion incorporation? “It’s fusion. It’s like two candles fused together, and can’t be told apart”.[67]

Does the fusion happen only in the Communion? “No. When the soul is in the grace of God is in continual fusion.”[68]

Do you say also the words that Jesus said? “Yes”[69]

Do you say ‘Woman, behold, your son?’ “I say: Woman these are the children of your Son.”[70]

Who did Jesus glance at, last? “His Mom”[71]

You must be very tired after Mass. “Yes, but I would never want to leave the altar, and I would want that nobody has compassion for me.”[72]

You suffer the passion on the altar, do you suffer it during the day too? “I’d be cool!”[73]

Did the Virgin have the Holy Communion? “Yes, she certainly did.”[74]

She received the body of her Son. “Jesus in the last supper, didn’t he receive himself?”[75]

Is it hard for you to stand for so long during Mass? “I do not stand.”[76]

But we see you standing. “I’m telling you. I am not standing.”[77]

Are You on the cross like Jesus on the Calvary? “Now you realize it?”[78]

Is the Mother of Sorrows close, assisting you? “There is She, and the whole paradise.”[79]

Where did Jesus rest his crowned head on the Cross? “He had it erected.

And when He was about to die, ‘He bowed his head and handed over his spirit’ (John 19:30)”[80]

Did they crucifix the feet together? “No, I think separately.”[81]

Did Jesus bear the crown of thorns for long time? “He did it until after death.”[82]

Who removed it? “His Mother did.”[83]

Who is your cyrenean. “Jesus.”[84]

What to do in sad times? “Offer all to Jesus in Gethsemane.”[85]

Who consoled Jesus when he was saddened? “The good souls and the angels.[86]

When do you suffer more during Mass? “Any time; in crescendo.”[87]

What is perfection? “Is doing God’s will, sweet or sour, with love.”[88]

Will we enjoy paradise right away, or we have to wait the final resurrection? “If the soul did not enjoy, it wouldn’t be paradise.

At the end of times, the resurrected body will enjoy too.”[89]

“Gossiping is a voluntary vice that lets charity die.”[90]

What is physical and moral suffering? “It is atonement, not an end to itself.”[91]

“In the judgment we will account for every unnecessary word.”[92]

You will judge me? “Yes.”[93]

How to prepare to death? “Every day ought to be preparation.”[94]

How to pray for a good death? “Lord, may I end my life in a perfect act of love and of sorrow for having offended you.”[95]

Is there a shortcut to get fast to God? “The shortcut is Mary. Jesus comes to us through Mary”[96]

They say that the rosary is outmoded. “Let’s do the way we have always done. Let’s love the Madonna. Let’s make people love the Madonna.

Let’s pray the holy rosary that she herself thought us.”[97]

 “He who prays a lot will be saved. He who prays a little is in danger. He who doesn’t pray is condemned.”[98]

“He who prays a lot saves himself and saves others.”[99]

“Let’s empty the purgatory.”[100]

September 19, 1968: ‘Tomorrow is the 50^th anniversary of the stigmata.’ “Do you mean 58^th?”[101]

Padre Pio had the visible wound for 50 years, but the pain associated with them started with the invisible stigmata, eight years earlier.

 The cover of the book written by Cleonice Morcaldi, My life close to Padre Pio. Intimate spiritual diary.

Padre Pio, Cleonice Morcaldi (center) and another spiritual daughter.

Padre Pio listening to Cleonice Morcaldi (right).

Cleonice Morcaldi was born on January 22, 1904. From a numerous family, she lived in dire poverty childhood, adolescence, and study life, until she became a teacher.

She met Padre Pio in 1920.  Padre Pio showed a singular predilection for her. Her strong faith in God enlightened her life, and let her stick to what her eyes saw and what her ears heard. 

She relentlessly pursued the quest to know more and more of the flood of love that God had versed on Padre Pio.

She made the wows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and renewed them every year on December 8, feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Through direct verbal interaction, and by question in writing usually passed to Padre Pio by Pietruccio the blind, - who also brought back the answers handwritten by Padre Pio, -  

her unshaken persistence gave us a fascinating glimpse of the afterlife, and let us know some of what our eye couldn’t see of the gigantic battle going on between good and evil.

Her fearless faith made her unique, and we are grateful for what she did. After the death of Padre Pio in 1968 she spent her life helping the poor

and spreading Padre Pio’s message of unconditional love for God and the neighbor. Cleonice died on February 23, 1987.