St Hannibal is said to be an Apostle of the Divine Will. He was assigned, by the Bishop, authority over all of Luisa's writings and was responsible for the publishing of her initial works. Jesus spoke with Luisa about the importance of his contribution to expanding the knowledge of the Divine Will. St John Paul II proclaimed Hannibal Maria Di Francia Blessed on October 7, 1990 and Saint on May 16, 2004.

Fr Hannibal met Luisa around the year 1910 and knew her for approximately 17 years. He was her Extraordinary Confessor. He was the first to publish Luisa’s writings on the Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” which Luisa wrote around 1913/14, which bore the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. In his last years, the Archbishop of Trani, Bishop Leo, appointed him Director over everything referring to the publication of Luisa's writings. Saint Hannibal abandoned any other work, because of the urgency he felt in publishing her writings.

When he died in Messina, on June 1st, 1927, he was comforted by the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he had loved so much during his life. Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed him Blessed on 7th October, 1990, and canonised him a saint on 16th May, 2004.

Pope Benedict XVI had a life size statue made of St Hannibal di Francia and had it erected in the last niche on the exterior of the Bell Tower in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The statue was made from a block of marble from Corato, Italy. Pope Benedict blessed the statue on 7th July 2010 with hundreds of people in attendance. Hannibal di Francia is represented with a Bible in one hand opened at the Chapter where Jesus asks for prayer for vocations: “Ask [Rogate] the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to gather his harvest”(Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).

Volume 23 – February 28, 1928

Jesus said to Luisa “…And do you think that the memory of Father Di Francia, his many sacrifices and desires to make my Will known, to the point of initiating the publication, will be extinguished in this great work of my Divine Fiat, only because I brought him with Me to Heaven? No, no; on the contrary, he will have the first place, because by coming from far away, he went as though in search of the most precious thing that can exist in Heaven and on earth, of the act that glorifies Me the most, or rather, will give Me complete glory on the part of creatures, and they will receive complete goods. He prepared the ground so that my Divine Will might be known; so much so, that he spared nothing, neither expenses, nor sacrifices; and even though the publication did not have its completion, by even just initiating it he prepared the ways so that one day the work of my Will in the midst of creatures can be known and have life… So, when this great work becomes known, his name, his memory, will be full of glory and of splendour, and he will have his prime act in a work so great, both in Heaven and on earth.

Saint Hannibal Di Francia wrote the following about Luisa: “Our Lord, who always makes the marvels of His love grow and grow, century after century, seems with this virgin, whom He calls the littlest one He found on earth, barren of every kind of education, to have wanted to form her into a perfect instrument for a mission so sublime, to which no other can compare."

Volume 21, March 19, 1927

Luisa writes “I was preoccupied about the health of Rev. Father Di Francia, because his letters which I received were almost alarming. I thought about the fate of my writings… Where would they end up? If Our Lord decided to call him to his Heavenly rest, then his mission of publishing the knowledge about the Fiat would be without its fruit… At the most one could say that he has begun, that he has the good will to do the publication, but who knows how much time will be needed to complete a work so lengthy?

Now as I was thinking that, my sweet Jesus moved within my interior, and He said to me: “My daughter, whoever has been given a mission and has barely had an opportunity to begin, or has not been able to complete the entirety of his missions because at the best moment I call him to Heaven, will continue from up there his mission, so that it may bring into the depths of the soul its deposit of good relating to the knowledge which he has acquired in life. In Heaven he will understand with greater clarity and understanding the great good of the knowledge of the Supreme Fiat. He will pray the Fiat, indeed he will ask all of Heaven to pray, that the knowledge be known throughout the earth; he will beseech that clearer light be given to whoever must work in making It known…”

Volume 20, November 6, 1926

Jesus said to Luisa: “once I have completed everything, I will entrust my Kingdom to my ministers, so that, like second apostles of the Kingdom of My Will, they may be the criers of It. Do you think that the coming of Father Di Francia, who shows so much interest and who has taken to heart the publication of what regards My Will, came by chance? No, no – I Myself disposed it. It is a providential act of the Supreme Will that wants him as first apostle of the Divine Fiat and proclaimer of It. And since he happens to be the founder of an order, it is easier for him to approach bishops, priests and people, also within his own institute, in order to proclaim the Kingdom of My Will. This is why I assist him so much and I give him special light, because in order to understand My Will it takes great graces – not little lights, but sun, to comprehend a Divine, Holy and Eternal will, as well as great disposition on the part of the one to whom this office is entrusted.”