Mystery AtlasPadre Pio Self-Infliction Theory
The sceptical case that Padre Pio's wounds were self-inflicted or chemically maintained, built on Amico Bignami's 1919 necrosis-plus-irritant hypothesis and revived by Sergio Luzzatto's 2007 discovery of archival testimony that a pharmacist sold Padre Pio carbolic acid without prescription in 1919; Bignami's own attempt to test the theory by sealing the wounds under signed bandages failed to stop the bleeding.
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Related Mysteries
- Padre Pio's Stigmata20 September 1918 - September 1968
Padre Pio Self-Infliction Theory attempts to explain Padre Pio's Stigmata — Rests on Bignami's 1919 necrosis-plus-irritant hypothesis and Luzzatto's 2007 archival find; Bignami's own bandage-sealing test failed to stop the bleeding, and defenders note the 1919 acid purchase coincided with the influenza epidemic, when antiseptics were in general use.
People
Padre Pio Self-Infliction Theory was popularised by Sergio Luzzatto — Luzzatto's 2007 book brought Vatican-archive testimony from pharmacist Maria De Vito to wide attention, substantially reviving the sceptical reading.
Documents & Sources
- Padre Pio: Miracles and Politics in a Secular Age2007 (Italian); 2010 (English translation)
Padre Pio Self-Infliction Theory is based on Padre Pio: Miracles and Politics in a Secular Age.