(ZENIT News – Porta Luz / Santiago de Chile.11.08. 2025). – At the age of 12, Eraldo Ulisse Mauro Amantini, born on January 31, 1914, in Bagnolo, Tuscany, entered the Passionists’ Minor Seminary for boys in Nettuno (Shrine of Saint Maria Goretti). The Fathers’ popular missions impressed him so much that he decided to join the Order. In 1929, he began his novitiate at the Monastery of Saint Joseph on Monte Argentario. The young religious made his perpetual vows in 1933. Three years later, he was ordained Deacon in the Lateran Basilica, before being ordained priest on March 13, 1937, at the age of only 23.
Candido of the Immaculate Conception — his religious name –, embraced the Passion of Christ in his life. Desiring to bring this love of the Son of God to the «crucified» of his time, he then acquired the education he still lacked. In time, he would be considered not only an excellent expert in Greek, Hebrew, German, and Sanskrit, but also a biblical scholar and moral theologian.
Until 1960, he taught students primarily Hebrew and Biblical studies. It was also during this time that he met Padre Pio. In 1961, Father Candido suffered a nervous breakdown that resulted in a long hospital stay. After recovering, he assisted his former student, Father Alessandro Coletti, who by then was an exorcist in the diocese of Arezzo. Father Candido began performing the first exorcisms under Father Alessandro’s guidance. He also made contact with Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, who described him as «a priest truly after the heart of God.» On one occasion, when receiving a group of pilgrims from Rome, Padre Pio said to them: «You come from Rome? And why do you come to me? You have a saint in the Scala Sancta! Go to him!»
In fact, the Passionist priest found his final pastoral destiny in the monastery of the «Scala Sancta» (Holy Stairs, Rome). The church takes its name from the 28-step stairway — brought from King Herod’s Praetorium –, which Christ climbed and descended several times. Empress Helen had them brought to Rome from the Holy Land, like other relics of Christ’s Passion.
Father Candido’s charismatic seal certainly had its origin in the profound practice of prayer. The recitation of the Rosary was his source of strength.
As time went by, more and more people chose him as their Spiritual Director and confessor. The faithful knew that Father Candido had the gifts of prophecy and contemplation of the heart. Hence, he immediately knew, the two or three persons — among the crowd of people waiting in front of the sacristy door –, who particularly needed his help. He dedicated himself to them in detail, while keeping the superstitious and miracle-addicted people waiting.
For Father Candido, it was important that the person wanting his help simply seek God as the healer of their soul. His Passionist brothers point out that the empathetic priest got up in the middle of the night for Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel. In doing so, he gave the dark sides of his parishioners to the Lord bodily present. Father Candido thus became an «open channel for God’s mercy.»
Our Lady was his great support in his apostolate as an exorcist. This was probably also because many of those who came to him had received great help in Loreto and Lourdes. Father Candido also made several pilgrimages to the French Marian pilgrimage site. In his book on «The Mistery of Mary» (1971), he wrote: «The Blessed Virgin is the first to withdraw us from the devil’s tyranny over the world.»
Father Candido always proclaimed the immeasurable love God has for His creatures. He himself led a penitent life to bear witness to this message. He often offered his life to God as atonement for others and often blessed those who visited him with this prayer: «May the Lord Jesus always be with you. He goes before you to guide you, He is behind you to protect you, He dwells in you to guard you, He is above you to enlighten you. Amen.»
He spent many hours a day in the confessional and exhorted his brother priests to always treat those who came to confess with compassion and consideration, in order to bear witness to God’s fatherly goodness.
In exorcisms, he claimed to restore the hearts of the possessed to the freedom of the children of God. In 1986, Father Gabriele Amorth (books: «An Exorcist Tells,» «Memoirs of an Exorcist») became a student of exorcism with Father Candido at the request of Cardinal Ugo Poletti.
Several times, the Vatican even asked Father Candido to travel abroad for particularly difficult exorcisms. During the exorcism itself, he always adhered to the prayers given by the Ritual. In addition to the usual holy water, he also used consecrated oil. After successful exorcisms, he often celebrated Holy Mass in the victims’ homes and blessed them with holy water and incense.
In the twilight of his life, his illnesses increased. Especially at night, he was plagued by difficulty in breathing and heart problems. He had to be treated in the hospital on several occasions.
On his name day, early in the morning, he asked Saint Candido for a gift. In fact, the heavenly gift arrived at night at 10 p.m. He closed his eyes forever on that day, September 22, 1992.
After the Passionist priest’s tomb had been a place of pilgrimage for 20 years, his human remains were transferred to the Chapel of the Holy Stairs on March 21, 2012, and, on June 13, 2012, the diocesan investigation for the Cause of Beatification was opened.
Prayer for the graces and glorification of the Servant of God, Father Candido Amantini, Passionist
We remember, Lord, your servant Father Candido, a priest immersed in your Passion, with contemplation of you in the mystery and sufferings of men. He wanted to imitate Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, as the teacher and guide of souls, restoring hope to discouraged hearts and benefiting those under the power of darkness and evil. May the Church, Lord, place Father Candido upon the lampstand so that he may enlighten her with his example and console her with his intercession, as well as with the grace we humbly ask of you… in the confident expectation that you will hear him and in the hope that he will soon be counted among your Blessed. Amen. (3 Glory be to the Father)
