Pope Leo XIV presided over the Mass and canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis in Saint Peter’s Square recently. During the Holy Mass, the Pope praised the extraordinary faith, hope and trust in God, the two witnesses showcased in their life. The Pope declared the two young Italians Saints at the start of the celebration adding them to Roman Catholic Saints list which consist more than 10,000 saints.
The Pope delivering his homily, reflected on the extraordinary witness of both new Saints. He recalled the words from the first Sunday reading from the Book of Wisdom, saying that, like King Solomon, these young men sought the gift of wisdom to better understand God’s plans for us and follow them faithfully. While doing so, they used their talents to bring others to God through their exemplary characters, words and deeds.
According to the Gospel passage, Jesus speaks to us of God’s plan, to which we must commit wholeheartedly, putting ourselves aside “without hesitation to the adventure that he offers us, with the intelligence and strength that comes from his Spirit,” the Pope said. The Pope remarked that young people often face crossroads in their lives and have to make difficult choices. Recalling the example of Francis of Assisi, he observed that the Saint took up “the wonderful story of holiness that we all know, stripping himself of everything to follow the Lord, living in poverty and preferring the love of his brothers and sisters, especially the weakest and smallest, to his father’s gold, silver, and precious fabrics.”
Pope Leo XIV added that when looking back at the history of the Catholic Church, there are so many saints who have made similar courageous choices. They looked up to God, though they were very young and relied on the trust in God. The Pope recalled, how these saints offered their “yes” to God, giving themselves completely to Him, “keeping nothing for themselves.” The Pope reminded the gathering, how Saint Augustine felt a voice deep within him that said “I want you”, and “God gave him a new direction, a new path, a new reason, in which nothing of his life was lost.”
Describing the life of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man of the early 20th century, the Pope said, through his participation in Catholic associations and service to the poor, he became a beacon for lay spirituality to the people. The Pope said that even today “Pier Giorgio’s life sheds light on lay spirituality,” as faith in God is not a private thing and could be lived in community in with membership in ecclesial associations and through commitment to the service to the poor.
Carlo Acutis, the Pope said, is a witness of holiness in simplicity. This young Italian teenager of our millennial, the Pope said, encountered Jesus in his family, through his parents, Andrea and Antonia, who were present at this celebration along with his two siblings, Francesca and Michele. Saint Carlo also lived his faith through school, but especially the sacraments celebrated in the parish community, the Pope added, noting how “he grew up naturally integrating prayer, sport, study and charity into his days as a child and young man.”
The Pope said that daily Mass, prayer and especially Eucharistic Adoration, built the lives of Saints Pier Giorgio and Carlo instilling love for God and neighbor through simple acts of charity. Even as illness struck both of them, ending their lives short, they continued to bear witness to God offering themselves to His great love. The Pope recalled how Pier Giorgio once said, “The day of my death will be the most beautiful day of my life”; and how young Carlo often said that “heaven has always been waiting for us, and that to love tomorrow is to give the best of our fruit today.”
Concluding the Holy Eucharist, Pope Leo highlighted how both Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis call us all, “especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces.”
Pope said that “They encourage us with their words, “Not I, but God,” as Carlo used to say and Pier Giorgio, “If you have God at the center of all your actions, then you will reach the end.” This is the simple but winning formula of their holiness. It is also the type of witness we are called to follow, in order to enjoy life to the full and meet the Lord in the feast of heaven.”
