He is one of the most beloved saints in the world. An ever-young and present Saint, even though he was born in Lisbon in 1195. We are talking about Saint Anthony of Padua, born in Portugal, born and raised by a noble family which had given him the name Fernando. Antonio is the name he chose when he decided to follow in the footsteps of another great Saint, Francis of Assisi, having arrived in Italy after a series of vicissitudes. Yet, everyone knows him as the Saint of Padua, where he died in the convent of Arcella, in 1231. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX less than a year after his death, but his holiness was already renowned during his lifetime. He has been attributed many miracles, but he was also a very learned man, a refined theologian, sensitive to social issues, as we are told by Father Oliviero Svanera, Rector of the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua since October 2016, having replaced Father Enzo Paolo Poiana, who died prematurely in August 2016.
Can Saint Anthony be considered a topical figure?
Many aspects highlight his topical relevance. His message is centred on two sets of values:
The Gospel and charity.
As a Franciscan Father, through his life he gave visible concreteness to the lifestyle of the Gospel that he embodied as a man of faith and prayer. Also bound to the Gospel is the style of his proclamation: Saint Anthony, who possessed an extraordinary capacity of communicating the Good News, prompts to ask ourselves how to bring the Gospel into the world. Anthony had an extraordinary command of language, theological knowledge, deep wisdom, and yet, with his charism, he made himself understood by the crowds, by simple people. It is a great stimulus for us friars, which inspired several initiatives in line with his spirit, such as our monthly publication “The Messenger of Saint Anthony” and the Theological Institute.
Saint Anthony combined his wisdom and his knowledge with the simplicity of the encounter with people.
What about the dimension of charity?
In his ministry Saint Anthony, a great preacher and confessor, always devoted great attention to people’s spiritual journey, to repentance, to salvation and to redemption. But he also had special consideration for prisoners, widows, needy families.
Many episodes of his life testify to his closeness to the most disadvantaged brackets.
Here in Padua is remembered his dedication to people oppressed by usurers and by the same local authorities, since, at the time, whoever was unable to pay a debt was sentenced to forced exile or to prison. Saint Anthony called upon Padua’s authorities to decrease the penalties. Many episodes of his life highlight the topical relevance of Saint Anthony from a strictly ecclesial perspective – for example, in Gospel preaching – in the social and political realms, as well as in the area of charity and service to the poor. However there is also another aspect.
Which is…?
In concrete terms Saint Anthony is considered the Miracle Saint.
And his topical relevance – I’m saying it with a smile – consists in the fact that he continues making miracles. I previously mentioned his deep theological knowledge, as shown in the beautiful sermons he passed down to us. But today that aspect is less known.
For the people Anthony is a friend, a confidant, an intercessor who is close to Jesus. Through Saint Anthony people feel close to the Father, they feel the tenderness and the mercy of the Father.
Is the devotion to the Saint very widespread?
From 2 to 2.5 million pilgrims visit the Basilica each year, as many as 3 million during the Jubilee of 2016.
The pilgrimage of the relics of Saints – ongoing this month in the United States, Canada and Australia, and a few days ago also in Bangladesh – shows the extent of people’s love for the Saint throughout the world. Each year 8-10 thousand Sri Lankan pilgrims arrive in Padua from all over Italy. Cardinal Colombo has been here on many occasions. Moreover,
Also Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus pray to Saint Anthony.
On Tuesdays, the day dedicated to the worship of the Saint, Muslims are found lighting candles to the Saint in St. Anthony’s church in Istanbul. Sri Lankan faithful going on pilgrimage to Padua to pray to the Saint are Catholics, Muslims and Buddhists.
In fact the Saint fulfils the spiritual need for the presence of the Divine, thereby leading people to elevate their hearts and minds to God, regardless of their different religions.
Which initiatives inspired by St. Anthony are you presently carrying out?
The most popular dimension of devotion is the Tredicina (the Thirteen-Day Novena) of Saint Anthony, thirteen days leading to the celebration of June 13. During that period Masses are celebrated for migrants, the elderly, the sick and the disabled. For more than ten years we have been organizing Antonian June with cultural events – this year the theme is Marian, marking the centenary of the apparitions of Fatima and the creation of the Militia of the Immaculata founded by St. Massimiliano Kolbe – inside the basilica but also in town, to spread knowledge on Anthony’s spirituality. A set of initiatives begin at the end of May, marking the way of Saint Anthony, a nightly pilgrimage of youths from Camposampiero to Padua, held during the whole month of June. From the perspective of proclamation the “Messenger” is a publication with a circulation of 400 to 450 thousand copies. It is available also in other languages. The Antonian Caritas initiatives are carried out worldwide.
This year’s June campaign is dedicated to Pakistan, with a set of initiatives at social level, notably in support of women and persecuted Christians.
Other initiatives include, inter alia, the bread of Saint Anthony, the Village of Saint Anthony in Noventa Padovana, the St. Francis Community, the assistance to convicts.
