0
0
Hundreds of thousands of faithful made a pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for the canonization of Italian blesseds Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (1909-1925). The ceremony at the Vatican is a highlight of the Catholic jubilee year. Thirty-six cardinals, 270 bishops, and over 1,700 priests from around the world celebrated Mass with Pope Leo XIV. Also present were the parents and siblings of Carlo Acutis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Before Mass, the Pope greeted the people in St. Peter’s Square. “Today is a wonderful celebration for all of Italy, for the whole Church, and for the whole world,” he said, emphasizing that it was “a day of great joy.” “I would like to greet in particular the many young people and teenagers who have come for this Holy Mass. It is truly a blessing from the Lord that we can gather here with you who have come from different countries,” said the Pope.
Strict security measures were taken around the Vatican. Pilgrims from all over the world were only allowed access to St. Peter’s Square after security checks with state-of-the-art metal detectors. Special parking zones were designated for the numerous coaches from all over Italy. Some of the faithful reached the Vatican aboard a charter train that entered the Vatican City directly.
Acutis was beatified in Assisi in 2020
Carlo Acutis was beatified in Assisi in 2020. He was to have been canonized on April 27 during the multi-day Holy Year meeting for teenagers in St. Peter’s Square. Around 80,000 young people from all over the world had registered to attend. However, due to the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday (April 21), the canonization of the first “millennial” was postponed.
During his lifetime, Acutis had created an online database of Eucharistic miracles and is considered the “cyber apostle” of the Eucharist. He installed a rosary program on his laptop. He also maintained his parish’s website. Then, in early October 2006, he was diagnosed with incurable leukemia. Shortly thereafter, he fell into a coma. On October 12, he was dead.
Soon after, the path to sainthood began, promoted by the Church and his parents. His body was reburied several times, from a village cemetery to the pilgrimage church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi. Last year, a million people visited the site, including many school classes.
Frassati came from a wealthy family
Born in 1901, Pier Giorgio Frassati came from a wealthy Turin family. His father was not only the founder and director of the Italian daily newspaper “La Stampa” but also a diplomat and, as such, served as Italy’s ambassador to Berlin in the early 1920s. During this time, Pier Giorgio met Karl Rahner, who later became a Jesuit and Catholic theologian, and Carl Sonnenschein, a priest and social activist. Frassati is said to have visited Berlin’s poor neighborhoods with him. Both were from Germany.
Social engagement was a significant part of Frassati’s life, especially in his hometown of Turin. After World War I, as a young student, he cared for people in the slums. It is believed that he contracted polio while doing this work, which led to his early death within a few days. In addition to his concrete social work, Frassati was politically active in various Catholic associations, belonged to Italy’s Catholic People’s Party, and spoke out against the growing fascism in the country.
- source: APA/picture: vatican media
This post has already been read 31 times!
