He Rose Off the Ground in Front of a Pope: The Story of Saint Joseph of Cupertino

He was called "Open Mouth" — the village boy too slow to learn, rejected by two monasteries before he turned eighteen. Then one day in 1630, in front of an entire crowd, his feet left the ground. This is the documented story of Saint Joseph of Cupertino — the Franciscan friar who levitated more than seventy times before witnesses including a Pope, a German duke who drew his own sword looking for wires, and the Vatican's own official skeptic, who later became Pope Benedict XIV. ──────────────────────────────── 📖 CHAPTERS ──────────────────────────────── 00:00 - Opening 01:31 - Chapter 1: The Boy They Called Open Mouth 04:52 - Chapter 2: Dismissed Twice 08:22 - Chapter 3: The Examiner Who Stopped Asking 11:30 - Chapter 4: Seventy Times at Grotella 16:01 - Chapter 5: The Duke Drew His Sword 20:34 - Chapter 6: Before the Throne of Peter 24:25 - Chapter 7: Denounced to the Inquisition 29:03 - Chapter 8: Three Rooms and a Wooden Bed 33:16 - Chapter 9: The Skeptic Who Was Sent to Disprove Him 37:13 - Chapter 10: The Last Flight 41:47 - Epilogue: Stories the Saints Left Behind ──────────────────────────────── 🕊 QUICK FACTS ──────────────────────────────── Born: June 17, 1603 — Cupertino, Kingdom of Naples, Italy Died: September 18, 1663 — Osimo, Italy Feast Day: September 18 Canonized: July 16, 1767 by Pope Clement XIII Patron Saint of: Students, exam takers, pilots, astronauts, air travelers, those with learning difficulties ──────────────────────────────── 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING ──────────────────────────────── Primary Sources: Canonization Depositions (1664–1695) — Vatican Archives, 13 volumes of sworn testimony Fr. Angelo Pastrovicchi, "Saint Joseph of Copertino" (TAN Books, Franciscan original hagiography 1678, English translation) Academic Sources: Carlos Eire, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible" (Yale University Press, 2023) Prospero Lambertini (Pope Benedict XIV), De Servorum Dei Beatificatione — official canonization process documentation Institutional Sources: Basilica of San Giuseppe da Copertino, Osimo — official shrine records Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent) — "Joseph of Cupertino" entry EWTN — historical saint documentation ──────────────────────────────── ⚖️ DISCLAIMER ──────────────────────────────── This documentary is produced for historical and educational purposes. All claims are drawn from verified primary sources including Vatican archives and official canonization trial transcripts spanning thirteen volumes of sworn testimony. This channel does not make theological pronouncements. Halos & Histories presents history — the interpretation belongs to the viewer. This channel is independently produced and is not affiliated with the Vatican, the Holy See, or any specific Catholic order or institution. ──────────────────────────────── 👍 If this story moved you, consider subscribing to Halos & Histories. New documentaries on the lives of the saints — released regularly. ──────────────────────────────── #HalosAndHistories #JosephOfCupertino #CatholicSaints #CatholicDocumentary #CatholicMystic #FlyingFriar #FranciscanSaints Halos & Histories — Stories the saints left behind.