Monday, December 08, 2008

Padre Pio on Joining the Catholic Church

As a Sponsor reading this gave me inspiration to make sure I am doing things right.

Once Padre Pio was asked "Father, you, helped by many praying souls, work hard to bring back souls who have fallen away to the heart of the Church. At the same time you leave them for months without absolution. Doesn't this mean you leave them out of the Church?"

The Padre answered "It isn't enough to enter the Church. You need to come in well. For you it is enough that they enter in Mass. For me it's important they are well prepared to come in. The months used to prepare one to be part of the Church are well spent. Entering unprepared is just the same as not entering."

When told "Father, those people that you do not absolve, in the case of sudden death, run the risk of damnation". He responded "But who told you that these souls are in God's bad books!?"
The questioner objected: "And if they are not in God's bad books why can't they approach the Eucharist?" To which Padre Pio replied "Because they have to do a particular penance."

-THE "PADRE" SAINT PIO OF PIETRELCINA : HIS MISSION TO SAVE SOULS
TESTIMONIES pgs 83-84

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