Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Ordinary Public Consistory on Friday morning, where he formally confirmed the canonizations of eight Blesseds. Among them were Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, two widely beloved figures whose lives—though lived in different centuries—embodied a vibrant, youthful witness to faith.
Originally, Acutis was scheduled to be canonized during the Jubilee of Teenagers on April 27, while Frassati’s canonization was planned for August 3, the close of the Jubilee for Youth. Both events were postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, which left their canonization dates in question.
That uncertainty ended when Pope Leo XIV announced the decision to canonize both young men together on September 7. The celebration drew widespread global attention, especially from the young faithful who had long looked up to Acutis—the first saint of the twenty-first century—and Frassati, whose early 20th-century life of charity and activism had already earned him the nickname “The Man of the Beatitudes.”
The ceremony reflected the Church’s recognition of the enduring impact of youth saints who lived out their faith in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. Carlo Acutis, known for his devotion to the Eucharist and skill in using technology for evangelization, and Pier Giorgio Frassati, celebrated for his joyful service to the poor and political engagement grounded in Gospel values, now stand together as saints for a new generation.
Pope Leo XIV also announced that seven more Blesseds would be canonized in October. Among them are Archbishop Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan, martyred during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, and Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea who was executed in 1945 for continuing Christian ministry under Japanese occupation. To Rot will become the first saint from Papua New Guinea.
Other future saints include Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona; Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles, founder of the Servants of Jesus in Venezuela; and Maria Troncatti, a missionary with the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.
Two laymen were also approved for canonization: Bartolo Longo, a former Satanist who became a devout Catholic and established the Marian Shrine at Pompeii, and Dr. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a Venezuelan physician known for his generous service to the poor.
Together, these canonizations reflect Pope Leo XIV’s commitment to honoring a wide range of vocations and testimonies of faith—across eras, cultures, and walks of life.
