Pope Leo XIV Acutis and Frassati saints before a crowd of 80,000 in St Peters Square

Vatican City-- More than 80,000 faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square this morning to witness the historic canonisation of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, the first saints to be proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV since his election earlier this year.

The pontiff formally declared the two young blesseds as saints during a deeply moving ceremony in the Vatican, pronouncing the ancient formula in Latin at the start of Mass. Their relics were then brought to the altar, as the crowd stood in reverent silence under the Roman sun.

“We inscribe the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis in the Roll of Saints, establishing that in the whole Church they be devoutly honoured among the saints,” Leo said, his voice echoing across the vast square.

Among those present on the sagrato — the platform just below the steps of St Peter’s Basilica — was Italian President Sergio Mattarella, accompanied by the President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister Alfredo Mantovano, and long-standing political figure Pier Ferdinando Casini.

Following the Mass, the pope made a brief tour in the popemobile before the massive crowd slowly began to disperse from the square, many still visibly moved by the historic event.

In his homily, Leo reflected on the biblical theme of divine wisdom, recalling the question from the Book of Wisdom: “Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?” — a passage attributed to young King Solomon.

Drawing a parallel with the lives of Frassati and Acutis, the pope said both young men had discovered divine wisdom by dedicating their lives wholly to God’s plan. The greatest risk in life, he said, is to waste it outside of God’s plan.

Leo urged young people to look to the new saints as examples of how ordinary lives can become extraordinary when centred on faith. Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces, he said.

Frassati, a Turin-born student from the early 20th century, was known for his joyful faith, social activism, and devotion to the poor. Nicknamed “Frassati Transport Company” by friends, he was often seen hauling food and supplies through the streets for those in need.

Acutis, a teenager from the early 2000s, became known worldwide for his Eucharistic devotion and digital evangelisation. Described by the pontiff as a boy who naturally integrated prayer, sport, study and charity into his daily life, Acutis famously said, “In front of the sun, you get a tan. In front of the Eucharist, you become a saint.”

Both saints, Leo said, shared a deep devotion to the Eucharist, frequent confession, and a fervent love for the poor. He noted how they lived out what he called a next-door holiness — sanctity expressed through simple, consistent acts of love and service.

This morning’s ceremony marked the first canonisations of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, following his election earlier this year after the resignation of Pope Francis. Though still early in his papacy, the pontiff’s decision to elevate two young laypeople — one from the modern digital age, the other from early 20th-century Italy — signals a clear message of encouragement to young Catholics around the world.

Quoting both new saints, Leo closed his homily with a call to radical surrender to God: “Not I, but God,” Acutis once said. Frassati, likewise, believed, “If you have God at the centre of all your actions, then you will reach the end.”

As the bells of St Peter’s tolled and pilgrims slowly filtered out of the square, many clutched rosaries and souvenirs, their hearts full of the moment they had just witnessed: a new chapter in sainthood, and a Church looking decidedly upwards.

PS