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| Italy's Saint Pio goes on display | Italy's Saint Pio goes on display |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The body of the popular Italian saint, Padre Pio, is to go on display in a glass coffin in southern Italy. | The body of the popular Italian saint, Padre Pio, is to go on display in a glass coffin in southern Italy. |
| Padre Pio was said to have had stigmata, or bleeding wounds of Jesus, on his hands and feet. | Padre Pio was said to have had stigmata, or bleeding wounds of Jesus, on his hands and feet. |
| His body was exhumed in March on the 40th anniversary of his death. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2002. | His body was exhumed in March on the 40th anniversary of his death. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2002. |
| More than a million people are expected this year to see his body, which is said to be well-preserved. But there is reportedly no sign of the stigmata. | More than a million people are expected this year to see his body, which is said to be well-preserved. But there is reportedly no sign of the stigmata. |
| Already, more than 700,000 people have registered to view Padre Pio's body, and more are expected to make the pilgrimage to the Capuchin friary in San Giovanni Rotondo where he will be displayed. | Already, more than 700,000 people have registered to view Padre Pio's body, and more are expected to make the pilgrimage to the Capuchin friary in San Giovanni Rotondo where he will be displayed. |
| Sceptics | Sceptics |
| Padre Pio had a large following both before and after his death as a result of the stigmata he was reputed to have. | Padre Pio had a large following both before and after his death as a result of the stigmata he was reputed to have. |
| How Padre Pio became an icon | |
| Some of his believers also say he could foretell the future, as well as know people's sins before they had confessed. | Some of his believers also say he could foretell the future, as well as know people's sins before they had confessed. |
| Some viewed him as a fraud, however, and for many years the Vatican itself was sceptical and banned him from celebrating Mass in public. | Some viewed him as a fraud, however, and for many years the Vatican itself was sceptical and banned him from celebrating Mass in public. |
| One Italian historian wrote last year that he may have used carbolic acid to produce his wounds. | One Italian historian wrote last year that he may have used carbolic acid to produce his wounds. |
| Despite this, his popularity grew in Italy and abroad and Padre Pio became something of a cult figure. | Despite this, his popularity grew in Italy and abroad and Padre Pio became something of a cult figure. |
| Before his death, the Roman Catholic Church said it was convinced the monk's claims were not false. | Before his death, the Roman Catholic Church said it was convinced the monk's claims were not false. |
| The monks who exhumed his body in March said it was in "surprisingly good condition," despite no special measures having been taken to preserve it when he was buried in 1968. | The monks who exhumed his body in March said it was in "surprisingly good condition," despite no special measures having been taken to preserve it when he was buried in 1968. |
| "We could clearly make out the beard. The top part of the skull is partly skeletal but the chin is perfect and the rest of the body is well preserved. The knees, hands and nails all clearly visible," said Archbishop Domenico D'Ambrosio, who led the service to exhume the body. | "We could clearly make out the beard. The top part of the skull is partly skeletal but the chin is perfect and the rest of the body is well preserved. The knees, hands and nails all clearly visible," said Archbishop Domenico D'Ambrosio, who led the service to exhume the body. |
| Since then it has been treated by a mortician to make the face more recognisable. | Since then it has been treated by a mortician to make the face more recognisable. |