St. Padre Pio had an extraordinary faith in God, allowing him the ability to act calmly when a demonic spirit tried to scare him.
This would happen with some frequency and on occasion possessed persons would enter into the church at San Giovanni Rotondo.
Author C. Bernard Ruffin relates the following story in his book, Padre Pio: The True Story.
Cure for possession
According to Ruffin, "Father John Schug (1928–2002), when he interviewed the older friars at San Giovanni a few years after Pio’s death, was told of one woman who seemed more than just mentally disturbed. Her face was so hideously contorted, and she had such an uncanny light in her eyes, that people began to flee in terror. 'I’m the owner of this church!' she screamed."
When the woman saw a picture of St. Michael the Archangel she said, "You didn’t win! I won!"
She made a big commotion inside the church that attracted the attention of Padre Pio, who was hearing confessions.
He came out of the confessional and the sacristan urged him not to go. Padre Pio responded, "Don’t be afraid...Since when were we afraid of the devil?”
Padre Pio simply approached her and said, "Get away from there!”
She began to plead with Padre Pio, "Please don’t send me away! Please don’t send me away!”
He told her to sit there and wait until he was done with confessions.
[Then he] found the woman sitting quietly. He led her to one of the confessional booths. When she left, “her face was like that of an angel.”
St. Padre Pio trusted fully in the power of confession and even today exorcists recommend the frequent confessing of sins in order to keep satanic forces from influencing an individual.
