Vatican City: On a radiant Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Square, filled with tens of thousands of pilgrims from around the world, Pope Leo XIV canonized two young Italians Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis offering the Church and the world a stirring call to holiness rooted in simplicity, service, and joyful faith.
Presiding over the solemn Eucharistic celebration, Pope Leo XIV officially declared Pier Giorgio Frassati, an early 20th-century layman, and Carlo Acutis, a millennial teenager, as Saints of the Catholic Church. The canonization unfolded under clear skies, turning St. Peter’s Square into a sea of prayer, song, and banners celebrating two lives that continue to inspire across generations.
The Pope hailed them as luminous witnesses who “teach us to direct our gaze upward, toward God, and to make masterpieces of holiness, joy, and service out of our own lives.”
Reflecting on the day’s Scripture readings, the Pope drew parallels between King Solomon’s search for divine wisdom and the lives of the new saints. Both Frassati and Acutis, he said, understood that wisdom lies not in wealth, fame, or power, but in aligning life with God’s plan. Through their words, deeds, and quiet choices, they brought others closer to God, embodying a “living catechism” for their peers.
Drawing from the Gospel, Pope Leo reminded the faithful that Christian life demands wholehearted surrender to God’s plan an adventure sustained by the Spirit. He recalled the radical choices of Saint Francis of Assisi, who abandoned riches for poverty and fraternity, noting that Frassati and Acutis echoed this courage by offering themselves completely to Christ.
“Saints,” the Pope said, “are those who say ‘yes’ to God without conditions, keeping nothing for themselves. In them, nothing is lost, but everything is transformed.”
Pier Giorgio Frassati, who lived in early 20th-century Turin, was remembered for his deep faith expressed in active membership in Catholic associations, his service to the poor, and his passion for justice. For Pope Leo, Frassati remains “a beacon for lay spirituality,” showing that faith is not confined to private devotion but must radiate in community life, social engagement, and even political commitment rooted in Gospel values.
Frassati’s words, “The day of my death will be the most beautiful day of my life,” were recalled as a testimony of his hope-filled embrace of eternal life.
Turning to Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at just 15, Pope Leo described him as a saint of “our own time” who lived holiness naturally amid school, sports, technology, and friendships. With his parents Andrea and Antonia and siblings Francesca and Michele present at the canonization, the Pope spoke of how Carlo’s family and parish community nurtured his faith.
Carlo’s devotion to the Eucharist, his love for the poor, and his ability to integrate prayer into daily routines revealed a spirituality of simplicity. His reminder that “heaven has always been waiting for us” resonated as a testament of hope for today’s youth.
Both saints, the Pope stressed, cultivated their love for God and neighbor through daily Mass, prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and acts of charity. Even illness and premature death did not weaken their witness. Rather, suffering became a final offering to God, transforming their short lives into profound legacies of faith.
Concluding his homily, Pope Leo XIV exhorted all and especially young people to resist the temptation of wasting life on trivial pursuits. Instead, like Frassati and Acutis, they should direct their lives upward to God, crafting them into masterpieces of holiness and joy.
“They encourage us with their words,” the Pope said: “‘Not I, but God,’ as Carlo used to remind us. And Pier Giorgio: ‘If you have God at the center of your actions, you will reach the goal.’ This is the formula of holiness simple yet revolutionary that can change our lives and prepare us for the feast of heaven.”