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Pope Francis speaks on stage with a picture of St Pio of Pietrelcina behind him, on Saturday during a pastoral visit in Pietrelcina on the 50th anniversary of the death of St. Pio (Padre Pio). Pio was revered during his lifetime (1887-1968), and his popularity has grown since his death, particularly in Italy, where mini-statues and pictures of the mystical Capuchin friar are ubiquitous.