Is this the 12th century?

The corpse of a Catholic saint, Padre Pio, who has been dead for forty years has been dug up and will be on display in a glass coffin in the Italian town of Foggia. Apparently a plastic mask, made from a cast of his face, will be involved in the display.

The Times of London “Faith Central” page (see link above) comments on the role of relics and the “veneration of sacred remains.” It all seems creepy and regressive to me. Can faith be brought to life by a corpse?

Pio was an object of controversy and was even banished from teaching for a time.

In his life, Padre Pio was reputed to smell like flowers and to have the ability to be in two places at the same time. He was also reputed to have had stigmata on his palms. “The Pierced Priest” as one book calls him, was also accused of having had intimate relations with women. That's the first claim about him that I can readily believe.

Padre Pio is the subject of numerous books. There is a “Top Ten Books about Padre Pio” list available on Amazon and you can buy medals, keychains and other item online at the Padre Pio Gift Shop. He makes a good living for a dead guy.