THE elevation of the Shrine of St. Padre Pio as an international shrine brings a greater responsibility to serve the sick, poor and marginalized, Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said Wednesday.
“This recognition by the Holy See is both a profound blessing and a solemn responsibility,” Garcera said during a news conference before the Mass marking the shrine’s elevation and the feast of St. Padre Pio.
He said the Vatican recognition reflects the shrine’s growth into a major pilgrimage destination attracting Catholics from across the Philippines and Asia.
Garcera said the shrine’s mission must remain focused on people suffering from illness, poverty and other hardships through its Healing Masses and pastoral programs.
He also urged the shrine to become a place of peace and reconciliation amid political divisions, social anxiety and religious tensions.
“Padre Pio’s timeless message of trust in God and radical charity offers a direct antidote to contemporary despair,” he said.
The Archdiocese of Lipa said its long-term master plan for the 17-hectare sanctuary will focus on prayer, pilgrimage and service to the poor.
The Vatican approved the archdiocese’s petition on May 25 through the Dicastery for Evangelization, coinciding with what would have been Padre Pio’s 139th birthday.
The designation also formalizes the shrine’s spiritual ties with the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, where the Capuchin friar lived and was buried.
Under Church law, international shrines and their statutes require approval from the Holy See. The Philippines now has two international shrines, with the Antipolo Cathedral receiving the designation in March 2023.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, then a Vatican evangelization official, earlier said international shrines must welcome pilgrims from around the world, particularly the poor.
“Being an international shrine is not just a privilege that is granted, but a mission that must be shared,” Fisichella said.
About the Author
