Padre Pio and the Devil: “Say, ‘Long Live Jesus!’”
Padre Pio was accustomed to fierce spiritual battles with the devil. But on one extraordinary night in San Giovanni Rotondo, the enemy reportedly approached him in a particularly deceptive disguise.
The story, recounted in Olivo Cesca’s Padre Pio: The Saint of the Third Millennium, contains a striking lesson about discernment—and the power of the Holy Name of Jesus.
A Mysterious Visitor Knocks at Padre Pio’s Door
One night, Padre Pio was in his cell at the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo when he heard a knock. Opening the door, he was astonished to see his old friend and confessor, Father Agostino.
It was an unexpected visit. Father Agostino lived about 150 kilometres (93 miles) away in Montefusco, so the two did not see one another frequently.
Yet as they began speaking, Padre Pio sensed that something was wrong.
The man who appeared to be Father Agostino began criticising Padre Pio’s fasting and penances. He described them as excessive and suggested that they revealed a misunderstanding of religious life.
Then the conversation became still more disturbing.
The visitor suggested that Padre Pio’s poor health showed that he was unsuited to convent life. Perhaps he should leave for a time—or even permanently. He could serve God in the world, the visitor argued. He did not need to remain in the convent to become a saint.
Finally, the supposed Father Agostino challenged Padre Pio’s experiences of diabolical attacks, suggesting that they might simply be the product of a sick mind or an overactive imagination.
The man looked and sounded like Padre Pio’s trusted friend. But his words were entirely different.
Padre Pio Puts the Visitor to the Test
Padre Pio remained silent and turned inwardly to God for guidance. When the visitor finally stopped speaking, Padre Pio saw his opportunity. He told him that what mattered above all was the will of God. Then he asked the visitor to join him in imploring Heaven for help by loudly proclaiming: “Long live Jesus!”
The mysterious visitor vanished immediately, leaving behind a foul stench. The man standing before Padre Pio had not been Father Agostino at all.
The Holy Name of Jesus
There is a profound spiritual lesson in this extraordinary Padre Pio story.
According to the account, the devil could imitate the appearance and voice of a priest. He could employ persuasive arguments and exploit Padre Pio’s physical suffering. But when Padre Pio invoked Jesus, the deception ended.
For Catholics, the Holy Name of Jesus is not merely another name. Sacred Scripture tells us that God bestowed upon Christ “the name that is above every name,” so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend (Philippians 2:9–11).
This mystery of Our Lord’s love is also at the heart of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Read more in June: The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which reflects on how even the mention of the Most Holy Name of Jesus calls to mind His infinite love.
Padre Pio’s response also reminds us where to turn in moments of temptation, confusion and spiritual difficulty: towards God.
When darkness and doubt surround us, may the Holy Name always be upon our lips:
Long live Jesus!
