Would There Be a Padre Pio Without St. Francis?

The Franciscan friars largely dictated the way that Padre Pio lived for the majority of his life.  For this reason, the spirituality and practices of St. Francis marked many of the integral elements of who Padre Pio was.  He was formed by the legacy of Francis.  The question of whether there would have been a Padre Pio without St. Francis is one that requires a delicately balanced response.  One must find a reply that acknowledges the practical and spiritual implications imparted upon Pio by St. Francis, while simultaneously avoiding the diminishment of the power of God’s grace upon a soul regardless of circumstance.  Did Padre Pio benefit from the life and holiness of St. Francis?  Yes.  It is likely that Pio studied Francis closely, gleaning from him every ounce of wisdom available.  However, Pio was blessed with many graces and experience, from his childhood to his death, which allowed him to be someone Francis could never have been.  Not someone better or holier, but someone with a unique calling.  Someone whose journey to holiness would touch lives in a way Francis’s could not.  There are many similarities between the two.  However, there are also key differences, which make each one holy.  Padre Pio became the man of God the world knew him to be not because he mimicked the life of St. Francis perfectly.  Rather, he became the individual that God asked him to become.