Vatican City: In a grand celebration of faith and diversity, Pope Leo XIV today canonized seven new saints from across the world during a solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Square. The historic World Mission Sunday ceremony drew thousands of pilgrims from more than 50 countries, marking one of the largest gatherings of the year in Vatican City.
The seven newly canonized saints represent a cross-section of the global Church missionaries, martyrs, founders, and laypeople who devoted their lives to faith, charity, and service. The new saints are Bartolo Longo of Italy, María Troncatti of Ecuador, Vincenza Maria Poloni of Italy, José Gregorio Hernández and María Carmen Rendiles Martínez of Venezuela, Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan of Armenia, and Peter To Rot of Papua New Guinea.
In his homily, Pope Leo described the new saints as “witnesses of mercy and courage who allowed the Gospel to take root in their lives and in their lands.” He emphasized that their stories “show us that holiness is not distant or unreachable, but lived in the ordinary moments of service and sacrifice.”
Among those honored, Blessed Peter To Rot’s canonization drew special attention as he became the first saint from Papua New Guinea. His steadfast faith and martyrdom during the Japanese occupation in World War II have long inspired Catholics in Oceania.
Armenian Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan, who was martyred during the 1915 Armenian genocide, was remembered as a symbol of faith in persecution. Meanwhile, Venezuelan physician José Gregorio Hernández, affectionately known as the “Doctor of the Poor,” was hailed as an example of Christian compassion and dedication to the sick.
Bartolo Longo, once a self-proclaimed atheist and a former Satanic priest who converted and founded the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, was recognized for his transformation and lifelong devotion to prayer and charity.
Pope Leo’s proclamation of the seven saints concluded with the traditional Latin formula of canonization, after which the faithful applauded and church bells rang across Rome. Relics of each new saint were placed before the altar as the choir sang hymns of thanksgiving.
The canonization Mass was attended by cardinals, bishops, and thousands of lay faithful. Flags from the saints’ home countries waved in the crowd, underscoring the global reach of the Catholic Church.
The ceremony concluded with Pope Leo’s blessing and an appeal for peace, unity, and renewed missionary spirit. “These saints remind us,” he said, “that holiness blossoms wherever love and faith take root in families, workplaces, and the heart of every believer.”
The canonization of these seven holy figures reinforces the universality of the Church, highlighting that sanctity transcends borders, languages, and time.