A life dedicated entirely to the sick, up to his death in Rome on 9 September 1964.

For this reason, on 21 February last, Pope Francis authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree regarding the heroic virtues of Don Pirro Scavizzi, diocesan priest born in Gubbio on 31 March 1884. Having become a military chaplain in 1915, Don Pirro Scavizzi joined the Order of Malta’s medical teams on hospital trains for transporting those wounded during the Great War.

During World War II, Don Pirro Scavizzi was again a military chaplain for the Order of Malta. He made numerous visits to Poland and Russia, crossing Nazi-occupied countries to take care of the wounded and becoming the de facto intermediary between the Holy See and bishops of occupied countries. During the Nazi occupation of Rome, he also helped the Jewish population.

According to the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, “the servant of God Don Pirro Scavizzi lived the virtues of the faith heroically, principally by the fervour with which he celebrated holy mass”.

Even when dying of an incurable disease, Don Pirro Scavizzi continued to devote himself tirelessly to those in difficulty.

In 1942 Grand Master Fra’ Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere admitted him to the Order of Malta as chaplain.

The ceremony for opening the process of beautification took place in the Vicariate of Rome on 22 December 1983. The decree published on 21 February 2020 is a fundamental step in the road towards beautification.