The International Convention of the
Padre Pio Prayer Groups was opened on May 4, 1986, with a concelebrated Mass in
front of the Shrine of Our Lady Of Grace. The occasion was the thirtieth
anniversary of Padre Pio’s hospital, the Home for the Relief of Suffering. At
that opening I was able to announce to those present the news of Pontifical
approbation of the new Statutes of the Prayer Groups of Padre Pio. It had been
communicated to me by a letter dated May 3, 1986 from Cardinal Casaroli,
Secretary of State of His Holiness.
In union with the Church, the Prayer Groups awaited
the approval of the new Statutes of the Prayer Groups. As Director General at that time, Bishop
Riccardo Ruotolo had the pleasure of presenting the same to all the adherents
of the groups. As Spiritual Children of
Padre Pio, all we do is in union and with the approval and blessings of the
Church. This is not an interference
from outside - as I heard was said some years ago by one no longer associated
with the Prayer Groups - but an act of obedient acceptance and loving trust in
the will of the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter through the Church.
The crowd present received the news
with prolonged applause, a sign of joy and great gratitude toward the Holy
Father, who had deigned to approve the new Statutes. He had already referred to
them in the address which he delivered on October 1, 1983 to twenty thousand
Prayer Group pilgrims gathered from all over the world.
It is said that Rome is eternal, in
other words, that it takes so long to get things done. However, anything worth
doing should never be done hurriedly. When laws, statutes, rules, etc. that
will guide the lives of others are in question, every aspect and possible
effect of such things must be studied, before reaching a decision that could be
binding. There is a sense of relief and
joy when decisions are reached because that means that now a given way of doing
things is clearer and more certain.
The new Statutes confirm the basic
principles and aims, which Padre Pio had given to his Groups from the beginning
of their establishment.
The Statutes are not something new but a development
of Padre Pio’s desires, based on the spirit he conveyed to others and his
conversations with the friars and others.
It is erroneous to say and think that the approvedStatutesare
a deviation or total change of Padre Pio’s original desires, in conformity with
the wishes of Pope Pius XII.
The Prayer Groups have to
distinguish themselves for their fidelity to the Church, to the Pope, and to
the Bishops. They must aim at an integral Christian formation through prayer
and generous charity towards the suffering, according to what Padre Pio
indicated.
An essential characteristic of a Spiritual Child of
Padre Pio and thus of the Prayer Groups, is faithfulness - fidelity to the call
and commitment. We are called to be faithful to God, the Gospel, the Church and
those in the Church who are called to shepherd the God’s People. Our Holy Father is supreme in this
matter. Anything that comes from him
and through him to us is to be accepted as a gift and not as an imposition from
afar. The moment we feel anything but
love and respect for the Holy Father and his directives, that is the moment we
have ceased to be a Spiritual Children of Padre Pio, who accepted even being
silenced by the Church, and waited patiently until the truth was known and he
could resume his ministry.
The structure of the Prayer Groups
is in full harmony with the Church’s hierarchical structure.
Some have suggested that Padre Pio did not want any
formal structure. An international organization cannot exist long without some
basic guidelines and structure that create encourage unity among the members
and offer a common bond and direction in the spirit of the founderThe line of authority, responsibility and
accountability for the Association is similar to that in the Universal and
Local Church. The line of authority
from the head (General Director) to the members, follows a “line of command” that ensures continuity and authenticity of Padre
Pio’s charism, orthodoxy and unity of directives, and a “connectedness” among
all the groups and members so that all can focus, as center and heart of the
Association in San Giovanni Rotondo where Padre Pio initiated this movement
among the faithful seeking a deeper spiritual relationship with God through
him.
It is absolutely necessary that each
Group have a Priest Spiritual Director, appointed by the Bishop and the
guarantor of the Group’s spiritual formation and adherence to the doctrine and
directives of the Magisterium of the Church.
The priest Spiritual Director of the group, whose
presence is essential at the monthly meeting, both as celebrant of the
Eucharist and guide for the spiritual discussion and meeting, is an integral
part of the Prayer Groups. He
represents the Bishop, whose approval is necessary for the establishment of the
group. A faithful priest
ensures that matters discussed will always be in harmony with Gospel values and
Church teaching.Elimination or substitution of the Eucharist
with prayers, and the absence of the priest at the meetings slowly erodes the
basic spirit of the group and is not in conformity with the wishes of the
founderMore will be said about the Spiritual Director later
in the Statutes.
Appointment of the Group Leader is
reserved to the Bishop, after the members vote in the presence of a Priest
appointed by the Bishop. This ensures fidelity to the Hierarchy.
Although the optimum is the above comment, often the
initial groups are formed with all essential members present and then the
Bishop’s approval is requested. At present this is being done because most
Bishop’s are not aware of the Association and its spirit, and the possible
benefits to the local Church. The first group leaders are appointed and
approved by the Bishop with his signature approving the establishment of the
group.
Until the local Bishop knows of the Prayer Groups in
his Diocese and is able to offer a priest to coordinate them within his
Diocese, we must adapt ourselves to the situation.
When the first leadership council of a Prayer Group
reaches its five-year mark, it is necessary to have an election. After the first appointment and approval by
the Bishop, all other leaders must be elected - not appointed - by the members
of the group for the time stipulated by the Statutes. The election is done with
the members of the Prayer Group present together with the Spiritual Director.
The Spiritual Director’s presence represents that of the Church and ensure
faithfulness to Church procedures should difficulties or questions arise.
To the Bishop is likewise reserved
the appointment of the Priest to be the Diocesan Co-ordinator of the Groups,
whereas the appointment of the Regional or National Co-ordinator falls within
the competence of the Regional or National Episcopal Conference.
The National Co-ordinator has been appointed through
the process mentioned above (National Episcopal Conference and appointment by
the Papal Delegate for the Works and Shrine of Padre Pio). The Regional and Diocesan Co-ordinators are
still in process, since the establishment of the groups in the USA met a snag
for a number of years without a cleric (priest) liaison between San Giovanni
Rotondo and the (Arch) Dioceses in the U.S.A.
The Certificate of affiliation with
the International Centre, which has it’s headquarters in Padre Pio’s
Foundation, the Home for the Relief of Suffering, is the visible link of the
Group’s union with the Centre instituted by Padre Pio.
Official headquarters for the Padre Pio Prayer Groups
is the Home for the Relief of Suffering (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza). All other Centers serve as coordinating
points of reference in the various countries around the world. These Centers
facilitate communication among the groups in a specific nation, and assist, if
needed, in communicating directly with San Giovanni Rotondo and the General
Administration at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of
Suffering).
The Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza is the foundation
established by Padre Pio as an external sign of compassion and concern for
those who suffer. While there is no
obligation to support the Home for the Relief of Suffering, the Prayer Groups,
realizing Padre Pio’s desire to promote this medical miracle, have contributed
voluntarily throughout the years for the upkeep and continual modernization of
this facility.
All Groups will periodically send
reports to the Centre of their activities, so that the General Headquarters may
be able to draw up an annual report of such activities, to be sent to the
Cardinal Secretary of State.
The Holy See receives reports regularly on the
activities and progress of the Prayer Groups around the world and any works supported
by the Spiritual Children of Padre Pio.
This is done through the International Headquarters at the Casa Sollievo
della Sofferenza. (Since the National Offices are also responsible for
information and setting up formation programs, it is recommended that groups
send a copy of their Activities Reports to the National Office so that an
updated account of the activities of the groups throughout the country can be
kept in our National files.)
This special link with the Holy See
and with the Holy Father is a very high honor for the Prayer Groups. It should
also constitute a constant commitment on the part of the General Headquarters,
with the General Council, and all Prayer Group spread throughout the world, to
co-operate fully with the Holy Father’s directives.
The Holy Father took upon himself the Prayer Groups as
particularly dear to his heart. Those
in the General, National, Regional and Local administration of the groups must
never forget their responsibility of fidelity to the Holy Father and the
teachings of the Church. The Prayer
Groups are not pockets of people practicing individual personal devotions and
meaningless pious platitudes. They are
furnaces aglow with a love for God and Our Lady and a desire to spread that to
others, in union with the Church.
It is our great hope that
promulgation of the new Statutes will be a fresh stimulus to Padre Pio’s Prayer
Groups to advance in the Christian formation of their members, through prayer,
together with an active participation in the Church’s liturgical life, and with
active charity to those who suffer, according to what Padre Pio has taught us.
As you can note, already in 1986, the aims and
objectives of the Prayer Groups was not just personal prayer recited by
individuals who happened to gather together to recite prays. The Prayer Groups were intended to unite the
faithful to pray with the Church, and through that prayer to actively, when and
where possible, to make that prayer effective in the lives of others through
charitable works and/or deeper and more active participation in the life of
one’s own parish family or local religious community.
All members of the Padre Pio Prayer
Groups will accept the new Statutes with enthusiasm and joy;
The Statutes are not suggestions that can be ignored.
The term used is will accept the new Statutes. They are directives approved by the Holy See, thus indicating who
the more authentic Spiritual Children of Padre Pio are.
they will reflect on the principles
inspiring them and the aims indicated by the Padre;
The group is expected to reflect often on the spirit,
words, counsels, and example of Padre Pio.
Again, we see here the need for the priest Spiritual Director to insure
that the discussions and reflections remain orthodox.
their activities and initiatives
will conform to the new Rules, and they will remember that, when acting in full
adherence to the directives of the Pontifical Magisterium, they will be better
able to achieve their own Christian formation through liturgical and community
prayer out of love for the Lord and the suffering brethren.
This was written for the present Statutes approved in
1986. Updated Statutes are being worked
on. Until they are reviewed and
approved by the Holy See, these are the ones we follow. As you can note, there is no deviation from
the basic goals of the foundation: participation in the Liturgy, prayer,
personal formation with the group and alone, and concern for the less fortunate
than we.
Monsignore Riccardo Ruotolo
Bishop Riccardo Ruotolo was Director General of the
Padre Pio Prayer Groups when the Statutes were approved. Since then, Archbishop
Domenico Umberto D’Ambrosio has been appointed Archbishop of
Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo and Delegate of the Holy See for the
Shrine and Works of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.