: The church was funded by devotees and designed to accommodate over 6,000 pilgrims with an expansive, fan-like structure that opens toward the town.
In its July-August 2008 issue, Chiesa viva published a provocative cover story titled . The magazine claimed that the architecture of the new sanctuary, which was inaugurated on July 1, 2004, was not a Catholic church but rather a structure designed to glorify Freemasonry and Luciferian ideals. Key Arguments from Chiesa viva Satanic Temple to P. Pio - Chiesa viva
: Traditionalists often cite the violent storm and torrential rain that occurred during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the church in 2009 as a "warning from Heaven" or a "punishment from God" against the "monstrosity" of the building. The Architectural Context : The church was funded by devotees and
: It sits adjacent to the older Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie , where Padre Pio lived and worked. Legacy of the Controversy Key Arguments from Chiesa viva : Traditionalists often