confirmation it is difficult to reach a conclusion, and the issue remains open." Odor of sanctity Many witnesses reported that a mysterious fragrance or aroma seemed to emanate from Pio's stigmata, a phenomenon usually known as the odour of sanctity. The scent emanating from Pio was also noted by Vatican investigator Rossi, who investigated the origins of the scent. In his report, Rossi describes a "very intense and pleasant fragrance, similar to the scent of the violet", and concludes that he was unable to determine the origin of the scent. Celestial visions In his letters to his spiritual directors Padre Agostino and Padre Benedetto, Pio reported frequent visions of celestial beings such as visions of Jesus and Mary and visions of his guardian angel. In 1915, when Padre Agostino asked him when he began to have celestial visions, Pio stated in a letter that he started to experience such visions not long after his novitiate, which he completed in 1903. When asked in 1921 by Vatican investigator Raffaele Rossi whether his visions were intellectual of physical, he replied that they were intellectual visions seen through the eyes of the intellect. Demonic attacks Pio reported frequent physical attacks from Satan and diabolical creatures, describing in his letters to his spiritual director that he was being physically beaten or tormented by demons. According to the report written by Vatican investigator Raffaele Rossi in 1921, there had been accounts of diabolical assaults and harassment against Pio. When asked about this by Rossi, Pio explicitly confirmed to have experienced malicious visions under human shape and beastly shape. Prophecy In 1947, 27-year old Father Karol Józef Wojtyła (later Pope John Paul II) visited Pio, who heard his confession. Austrian Cardinal Alfons Stickler reported that Wojtyła confided to him that during this meeting, Pio told him he would one day ascend to "the highest post in the church, though further confirmation is needed." Stickler said that Wojtyła believed that the prophecy was fulfilled when he became a cardinal. John Paul's secretary, Stanisław Dziwisz, denies the prediction, while George Weigel's biography Witness to Hope, which contains an account of the same visit, does not mention it. Reading into hearts It was reported that Padre Pio could read into people's hearts, for example having supernatural knowledge of their sins when receiving them for confession. When asked about this ability by Raffaele Rossi during his investigation in 1921, Padre