Padre Pio is beloved but most people misunderstand why

When I think about the saints most beloved by modern Catholics, Padre Pio tops the list. His weathered face and brown Capuchin habit are iconic. His remarkable personal story, his strong-willed personality and the intensity of his spiritual life are absolutely captivating. But here's the thing: I think most people get the reason this saint is beloved entirely wrong.

At first glance, Padre Pio's life is one of mystery and miracle. "I can certainly say that Padre Pio is one of us, and yet so different," writes Capuchin Father John Aurilia in "Dearest Soul" (OSV, $24.95), a new book about Padre Pio. Father John knew Padre Pio well, having served as his secretary in 1967. The stories shared in the book are legendary: bilocation, the reading of souls, the stigmata and countless miracles of healing. For many, these remarkable events are what make him stand out. But the key to why people love Padre Pio is at once much simpler and more mysterious.

One of the things I most admire about Padre Pio is his extraordinary devotion to the sacrament of confession. For decades, he spent hours each day hearing confessions, often up to 10 or 12 hours at a time. The sheer number of penitents who flocked to him was staggering. Father John shares in his book that one day, his brother Capuchins asked Padre Pio why everyone went to him for confession. The saint replied, "They think I am deaf."

Padre Pio had a keen awareness of sin, and most importantly, as Father John puts it, "He was abrupt and tough with some people and compassionate and gentle with others." He knew when to strike a blow with tough love and when to anoint with mercy. And that's where so many Catholics -- penitents and confessors alike -- often go wrong.

We live in a time when Catholics are often reluctant to confess their sins, where guilt is downplayed and the very concept of sin is widely rejected. And yet, the sacrament of confession remains one of the most potent sources of grace we have. Sometimes we all need a stern talking to, to be held to account. But at other times, we just need someone to gently tell us that God loves us and that we'll be okay. Padre Pio could deftly navigate the tension.

Padre Pio's other great secret was his love for the holy Eucharist. Father John recalls how, when the saint celebrated Mass, people would yell things like, "Miracolo, miracolo!" (miracle) or "Evviva Padre Pio!" ("Long live Padre Pio!"). The holy friar insisted that those who interrupted the Mass in this way be escorted from the church. Padre Pio always knew that he wasn't the focus; Jesus was the center of it all.

Padre Pio reveals his deep love for the Eucharist, saying: "How happy Jesus makes me! How sweet is His spirit! But I am confused and can do nothing but weep and repeat: Jesus my food!" The Eucharist was Padre Pio's life. Describing how he felt after holy Communion, Padre Pio writes: "I almost forget that I am in the world; mind and heart desire nothing more and sometimes for quite a long time even the will to desire anything else is lacking in me." That is a special grace of union!

In Padre Pio's life, confession and the holy Eucharist did what they were ordained by God to do. They made the beloved friar holy. But here's the bottom line, and the thing Padre Pio would want us to know above all else: These sacraments can make us holy too.