Millennium's First Individual Bestowed Sainthood by Pope

Pope Leo XIV Canonizes Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

On a historic day in September 2025, Pope Leo XIV conducted a Mass and canonization ceremony on St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The ceremony marked the official beginning of the pontificate of the 267th Pope and saw the official proclamation of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis as saints of the Catholic Church.

Pier Giorgio Frassati, who lived in the early 20th century, dedicated his life to helping the poor and sick. His selfless acts of charity earned him a place among the saints. Frassati passed away at the age of 24 from illness.

Carlo Acutis, an Italian born in the 1990s, was also honoured during the ceremony. Acutis, who was dubbed the "Digital Disciple," passed away from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. He was passionate about computers and created websites to share his Catholic faith. Today, he is considered the patron of the internet.

In 2019, Acutis's body was moved to Assisi, to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. During the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV received the symbols of papal authority - the "Fisherman's Ring" and the pallium. The pallium is a woolen band with crossed stripes, symbolizing the unity of the Church.

The canonization ceremony was documented with pictures, as shown in the tweets pic.twitter.com/Kg7JwnZZFz and pic.twitter.com/Fk7RQYwofu. The Formula of Canonization was used in the ceremony, formally recognizing Frassati and Acutis as saints in the eyes of the Church.

The ceremony took place on St. Peter's Square, with thousands of people in attendance. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis will now be remembered as models of faith, charity, and devotion for generations to come. The Pope officially took office in May of 2025 and has continued to lead the Church with grace and humility.