"[7] During its North American premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival, it won the "Achievement for Filmmaking" award for cinematography.

[9] The film was released in the United States on 2 June 2023 by Gravitas Ventures and in Italy on 18 July 2024 by RS Productions.

Padre Pio arrives at San Giovanni Rotondo after living with his family in Pietrelcina for a number of years.

According to Abel Ferrara, actor Willem Dafoe suggested that Shia LaBeouf should be cast for the film's leading role.

[11] LaBeouf arrived at Old Mission Santa Inés in July 2021 to learn about Padre Pio with the Capuchin Franciscan friars.

Rodriguez traveled with LaBeouf as his spiritual adviser and catechist and was in the film as Padre Pio's companion.

Padre Pio exchanged letters with his provincial and spiritual director while living in Pietrelcina with his family.

Padre Pio expressed in his letters his deep and mysterious relationship with God and health difficulties.

[10] After San Marco, filming continued outside the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel in Monte Sant'Angelo.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Tonally unbalanced and burdened with a distracting Shia LaBeouf performance, Padre Pio is one of Abel Ferrara's less divine works.

[23] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, describing it as "clunky" and criticizing its political themes for possessing "the subtlety of a cartoon for preschoolers.

[25] Journalist Glenn Kenny of The New York Times found the film "occasionally rank" and panned LaBeouf's performance, though complimented Ferrara's "sometimes Brechtian consideration of the nodes of political history and spirituality.

[36] Criticisms were generally aimed at the film's sexual content[31][32] and perceived support of left-wing politics.