In Summary

     It has come to our attention that Bishop Cullen has chosen to release a public press statement about the Canon law dispute with the National Centre. The National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. regrets that Bishop Cullen has chosen to publicly air this dispute while it is currently under appeal. In accordance with Canon Law, that appeal must go in the first instance to Bishop Cullen himself who is required to impartially review the matter and to "seek an equitable solution by common counsel" (Canon 1733 §1). Bishop Cullen's press release leaves no doubt that he has pre-judged and pre-determined the matter. Clearly Bishop Cullen has ignored the precept of Canon 1733 to avoid contention, which makes the purpose of our appeal appear pointless. Nevertheless, the Centre will comply with Canon law and follow the designated appeal process.

     The Corporation, despite its appeal, and contrary to the implication in Bishop Cullen's press release, has complied with the Bishop's December 17th, 2003 request that the Centre refrain from allowing the sacraments to be said at the Centre. All visitors to the Centre have been notified of this change and no violation of the Bishop's request has occurred. Thus, Bishop Cullen's conduct in issuing this press release is inexplicable to the Corporation.

     Bishop Cullen's December 17th letter focuses on the Centre's Association for Poor Souls. The National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc., created the civil association known as the "Padre Pio Association for Poor Souls" pursuant to the blessing of Bishop Welsh, Bishop Cullen's predecessor. The Association has designated requirements and purposes and the use of monies donated to the Association is restricted as originally understood by Bishop Welsh. This civil association, which has no standing in Canon law, imposes a trust obligation upon the Centre in accordance with the Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation law and the Centre holds the funds received to and for the authorized purposes in accordance with the Corporation's representations to the public. As such, the National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc., repeatedly informed Bishop Cullen that it could not lawfully terminate the Association nor transfer the Association to another entity as either action would abrogate the Corporation's civil trust obligations and violate the terms pursuant to which the monies were raised. Since it is a civil association and has no standing in Canon law, Bishop Cullen had no authority whatsoever to order the National Centre to terminate or transfer the Association. Correspondence received from the Bishop's civil counsel with regard to the Association for Poor Souls has consistently failed to disclose any reason for the Bishop's desire to terminate the Association, dealing instead exclusively with his desires without benefit of reasons. Regardless, we cannot and will not engage in what our solicitors advise us would be a breach of our trust obligations merely to satisfy the unexplained whim of Bishop Cullen.

     At no time has Bishop Cullen asserted that the National Centre has failed to conform to any Canonical mandates as regards the Association. All correspondence to which Bishop Cullen refers in his news release dealt with an unrelated request by the Corporation for Canonical standing. Even that correspondence, contrary to Bishop Cullen's conclusion in his news release, failed to contain any information on any objections the Bishop has to the National Centre's work and operations.

     The National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. sought Canonical standing so as to be able to offer its Catholic visitors mass. In support of that request, the National Centre held extensive talks with Bishop Cullen's designee, Bishop Gainer, regarding areas of control the Corporation was more than willing to give to Bishop Cullen in order to satisfy Bishop Cullen's Canonical obligation of oversight. To that end, the Corporation offered Bishop Cullen a seat on the Board of Directors and sole control over a religious committee, which would have had absolute dominion over all religious questions, and their impact on the Corporation. The National Centre thus endeavored to satisfy Bishop Cullen that he would not have to fear any scandal at the National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. and to ensure that the National Centre complied with Catholic principles. Bishop Cullen has, since January of 2003, failed to answer repeated correspondence from the National Centre with regard to those offers. At no time did the National Centre receive any explanation for the Bishop's failure to respond let alone any alleged "failure to conform to Canonical mandates." Requests for a meeting with the Bishop went unanswered. In fact, the Centre was ordered to communicate religious matters with the Bishop only through his civil counsel and not to write him directly.

     The only reasons ever provided to the Corporation for Bishop Cullen's failure to grant the Corporation's request for Canonical standing were his personal displeasure with the Calandra family involvement in the Corporation and his perception that funds raised for the St. Pio Centre and St. Pio Museum somehow represented solicitations based exclusively on the fact that St. Pio was himself a Catholic. Bishop Cullen ignores the fact that Calandra family members normally constitute less than a third of the Board of Directors of the National Centre, which Board is drawn from all over the United States and Italy. Bishop Cullen ignores the fact that financial support for the St. Pio Museum and Centre comes to this Corporation from peoples of all faiths, colors and creeds from all parts of the world. We are happy to count among our friends and supporters over 70,000 people from more than 90 countries. Thus Bishop Cullen's stated reasons could not be further from the truth. All of our efforts to show him the truth he has ignored.

     The National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. sincerely regrets that Bishop Cullen, through bad advice or otherwise, has chosen to violate the confidentiality of this matter while it is currently on appeal as well as his obligation "...to seek an equitable solution by common counsel." The National Centre regrets the factual and legal inaccuracies of the Bishop's release and regrets Bishop Cullen's failure to recognize the Corporation's obligation to comply with Pennsylvania trust and non-profit corporation law. The National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc., will continue to do as it has always done which is to comply with the law of man as well as the law of God.

     We wish to thank the hundreds of friends, pilgrims and supporters who have heard of this matter and have written us letters of support. We also wish to thank the hundreds who have called to personally offer their prayers. The Board of Directors and Officers of the National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. in turn pray for the blessings of good will, peace, tolerance and understanding to be upon Bishop Cullen and all of us.