SOMETIMES JUST THE THOUGHT OF GOING TO CONFESSION CAN MAKE ONE ALITTLE NERVOUS, CONSIDER IF THE PRIEST YOU ARE CONFESSING TO CAN READ YOUR SOUL AND TELL YOU THE SINS YOU OMITTED. THEN THROW IN THE FACT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE A SPIRITUAL CHILD OF PADRE PIO AND THEN HE SHOWS UP TOO!!! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO GIULIANI MANLIO.
THE FOLLOWING IS A TESTIMONIAL OF GIULIANI MANLIO DATED OCTOBER 29, 2008.
PADRE DOMENICO ALSO WARNS OF A BAD RELATIONSHIP.
HOW I MET PADRE DOMENICO.
I MET PADRE DOMENICO AT THE SANCTUARY OF THE VOLTO SANTO WHEN IN 1966 I WENT ON A TRIP TO MANOPPELLO. AT THAT TIME I WAS TAKING THE COURSE FOR GENERAL NURSES, I WAS IN THE BEGINNING OF MY PARAMEDICAL SPECIALIZATIONS. OUR PRACTICE TEACHER WAS SISTER ANGELA (NOW DECEASED).
WE ARRIVED IN MANOPPELLO IN THE MORNING. WE ALL ENTERED THE SANCTUARY AND HONORED THE VOLTO SANTO. BEFORE THE HOLY MASS, I HAD THE IDEA OF CONFESSING AND I LOOKED AROUND, SINCE A FRIAR WAS BUSY AT THE CONFESSIONAL AND THERE WERE PEOPLE AHEAD OF ME , I WAITED. I SAW A FRIAR COME OUT FROM THE LEFT DOOR NEAR THE VOLTO SANTO, A LARGE FRIAR AND I ASKED HIM TO CONFESS ME. HE LOOKED LIKE A DIFFERENT FRIAR FROM THE OTHERS, RATHER GRUFF AND DETERMINED WITH A WHITE BEARD AND BLUE EYES, HE ALSO INSPIRED A CERTAIN FEAR AND ADMIRATION. I TRIED TO AVOID HIM BUT HIS NAME WAS ALMOST WITH A CERTAIN ATTITUDE, I FELT COMPELLED TO GO TO HIM AND I KNELT FOR CONFESSION, TO THE LEFT OF THE ALTAR. I BLAMED MY SHORTCOMINGS AND THOUGHT I HAD TOLD HIM EVERYTHING. HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, " ARE YOU SURE YOU TOLD ME EVERYTHING?" I REPLIED, " I THINK SO", AND HE, CLAPPING HIS RIGHT HAND ON MY HEAD SAID TO ME, "AND THIS WHEN YOU TELL ME" , " AND THIS OTHER?" IN SHORT, HE LISTED ALL MY SHORTCOMINGS FORGOTTEN BY ME IN GOOD FAITH.
THEN I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS A SPIRITUAL SON OF PADRE PIO. I NOTICED THAT HAVING SAID THIS, HE DARKENED HIS FACE AND ANSWERED CLEARLY, "PADRE PIO IS HERE WITH US NOW". I ASKED, "IS HE HERE?" NOT UNDERSTANDING HIS COMMENT, I THOUGHT HE WAS STAYING AT THE CONVENT ABOVE TO REST OR NOT. "YES", HE REPLIED. "NOW HE IS HERE"! THEN I UNDERSTOOD HIS ANSWER. I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE AND PADRE PIO HAD A CERTAIN UNDERSTANDING. MY INTUITION MADE ME REALIZE THAT THEY WERE TWO SPIRITUALLY STRONG FATHERS AND FRIENDS. IN FACT PADRE PIO HAD CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO HIS GIFTS IN GUIDING AND ADVISING HIM. THE CONFESSION FINISHED, I VENTURED A QUESTION TO PADRE DOMENICO, "LISTEN, FATHER, I HAVE A GIRL IN MIND", HE CURTLY REPLIED, " FORGET IT, SHE IS NOT FOR YOU". I REPLIED, "BUT, FATHER, MUST I ALWAYS GIVE UP EVERYTHING AND ALWAYS?" I INSISTED ON THIS NEW REQUEST. HE REPLIED IN AN IMPERIOUS AND HARSH TONE, "YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT RENUNCIATIONS, IF YOU WERE INSIDE THIS CASSOCK YOU WOULD BURN IT! YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE PERSON YOU MENTIONED AGAIN". FROM THAT MOMENT ON I NEVER SAW HER AGAIN DESPITE MY CURIOSITY IN LOOKING FOR HER ALSO FOR PERSONAL SATISFACTION. THE FACT IS THAT IN TELLING ME THESE THINGS HE RAISED HIS VOICE AND EVERYONE TURNED TO LOOK AT US AS IF WE WERE ARGUING. A COLLEAGUE ASKED ME IF I HAD OFFENDED THE FRIAR, BUT I REASSURED HIM BY TELLING HIM THAT WE HAD HAD A RATHER LIVELY EXCHANGE OF IDEAS. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A TRUE AND SINCERE FRIENDSHIP THAT LASTED OVER THE YEARS. WE LEFT THE SANCTUARY AND I NO LONGER THOUGHT ABOUT THIS EPISODE AND I NO LONGER THOUGHT ABOUT LOOKING FOR HER. I MUST ADMIT, HOWEVER, THAT HE WAS PERFECTLY RIGHT. I HAD PROOF OF IT AFTER NOT LONG. EVIDENCE THAT I CANNOT DESCRIBE HERE FOR PERSONAL REASONS.