Pope Leo XIV has announced the canonization dates for several blesseds. The joint canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati will take place on September 7, 2025. Additionally, seven other saints will be canonized on October 19, 2025. These canonizations mark a significant event for the Catholic Church under the new pontiff, with the process having been delayed after the death of Pope Francis. The upcoming canonizations include figures known for their devotion and service.
8 days ago
Pope Leo XIV has announced the dates for the canonization of nine blesseds, marking one of his first significant acts as the new pontiff 3. The announcement was made during the first consistory of his pontificate 1. Two ceremonies will be held: one on September 7 for Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, and another on October 19 for seven other blesseds 3.
Carlo Acutis, known as "God's influencer" for his tech skills and devotion to Eucharistic miracles, will be canonized alongside Pier Giorgio Frassati on September 7 6. Acutis, who died at age 15 in 2006, is considered a potential patron saint of the internet 6. Frassati, who died at 24, was known for his vibrant faith, social activism, and love for the poor 3. Their joint canonization, initially planned separately by Pope Francis, symbolizes a powerful restart, bridging the digital age and early 20th-century witness 3. Some expressed disappointment over the date change from the originally planned August date for Frassati 4.
Seven other blesseds will be canonized on October 19, World Mission Sunday, representing a diverse group of individuals from various backgrounds and countries 4. They include: Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian bishop and martyr 1; Peter To Rot, a lay catechist and martyr from Papua New Guinea 1; Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona 1; Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian missionary who worked among the Shuar Indigenous people of Ecuador 1; María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez, a Venezuelan nun and founder of the Sister Slaves of Jesus 1; Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer and former Satanic priest converted to Catholicism 1; and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a Venezuelan doctor known as the "doctor of the poor" 1. Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez will be Venezuela’s first female saint 4. Peter To Rot's canonization marks a historic first for Papua New Guinea 3.
The canonization dates were initially set by Pope Francis but were postponed following his death in April 3. Pope Leo XIV's decision to proceed with the canonizations and to combine Acutis and Frassati's ceremony is seen as a significant act early in his pontificate 3. These events are expected to draw large crowds to Rome during the Jubilee Year 3. The canonizations reaffirm holiness as a living call available to all, not just a relic of the past 3.
What is the Catholic Church's theology of canonization?
The Catholic Church's theology of canonization concerns the process by which the Church declares that a deceased person lived a life of heroic virtue or suffered martyrdom, and is worthy of public veneration . Here's an overview:
Holiness and Heroic Virtue:
Process of Canonization:
Purpose of Canonization:
Types of Veneration:
Papal Infallibility:
In summary, the Catholic Church's theology of canonization involves a thorough process of recognizing and declaring individuals as saints, worthy of veneration, based on their heroic virtue or martyrdom. This process serves to honor God's grace in their lives and to provide examples for the faithful to emulate .