Padre Pio and the Popes: A Dance of Love and Hate

Pope Pius XI considered Padre Pio a villain during the 1920s due to the influence of Father Agostino Gemelli, according to Catholic Exchange. Gemelli, a medical doctor and psychologist, claimed the stigmata on the Capuchin friar's hands and feet were self-inflicted psychosomatic wounds caused by an obsession with the Passion of Christ. Gemelli described the friar as a psychopath who sought reverence by appearing as a living portrait of the crucified Christ.

During a secret meeting at the Vatican, most cardinals opposed Padre Pio while some supporters begged the pope not to impose sanctions that would prevent the friar from hearing confessions. Pius XI prepared to strip the 38-year-old of his faculties and suspend him from his ministry.

The report states that Padre Pio appeared suddenly in the secret chamber to plead his case personally. After kneeling and kissing the pope's feet to ask that the sanctions not be permitted for the good of the Church, the friar reportedly disappeared from the room.