Catholics cautioned about ‘objectionable’ magazine

Jan 9, 2005 / 22:00 pm

The Diocese of Pittsburg issued an official warning about a quarterly magazine, called Thorns and Roses. The warning was reported in the Pittsburg Catholic.

The magazine is distributed in some Pittsburg-area churches as well as in other churches across the country. A Pittsburg-based group called, Padre Pio Spiritual Refuge Inc., publishes it, but the group is not an official ecclesiastical organization, cautioned Fr. Lawrence DiNardo, diocesan vicar for canonical services.

Furthermore, the magazine is associated with a former priest, Anthony Cipolla, who was "dismissed from the clerical state" by the Pope, said Fr. DiNardo, who also serves as the director of Pittsburg’s Department for Canon and Civil Law Services.

Bishop Donald Wuerl had banned Cipolla from ministry in 1988, following allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Pope John Paul II laicized Cipolla in 2002.

Thorns and Roses contains material that is “certainly objectionable,” including attacks on Church hierarchy, Fr. DiNardo reportedly said. “Thorns and Roses does not have any imprimatur from the Church,” he added.

If people have a devotion to St. Padre Pio and wish to make a donation, they should make it to the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers, which is the primary organization that honors St. Padre Pio in the diocese, and not to Padre Pio Spiritual Refuge Inc., Fr. DiNardo urged.