Pope Leo XIV Canonizes Seven Saints, Including Former Satanist

Pope Leo XIV officially canonized seven new saints during a ceremony at St. Peter’s Square on October 8, 2023. Among them was Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer who transformed his life from involvement in Satanism to becoming a fervent advocate for the Catholic faith, particularly through devotion to the rosary. Born in 1841, Longo abandoned his Catholic roots during his university years, ultimately embracing occult practices and even taking on the role of a Satanic priest. His spiritual awakening led him to renounce Satanism and return to the Catholic Church, where he dedicated his life to promoting the rosary until his death in 1926.

During the canonization, Pope Leo addressed an estimated crowd of 70,000 people, emphasizing the importance of faith in modern society. “Today we have before us seven witnesses, the new Saints, who, with God’s grace, kept the lamp of faith burning,” he stated. The pontiff encouraged the faithful to seek the intercession of these new saints in their personal trials and to draw inspiration from their examples of holiness.

Profiles of the Newly Canonized Saints

The canonization ceremony, which marked the second such event for Pope Leo since becoming the first American pontiff in May, included a diverse group of individuals. Each saint represents different paths to sanctity and comes from various cultural backgrounds. Among them is Peter To Rot, the first saint from Papua New Guinea, who was martyred during World War II while defending Christian marriage against Japanese occupiers.

Also canonized was Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian Catholic Archbishop executed during the Armenian genocide in 1915 for refusing to convert to Islam. He is remembered for his declaration: “I consider the shedding of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest desire of my heart,” as reported by the Catholic News Agency.

Venezuela celebrated the canonization of two of its own, marking the first saints from the nation. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, often referred to as “the doctor of the poor,” dedicated his life to serving the vulnerable until his death in 1919. He was joined by María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez, the founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus, recognized as Venezuela’s first female saint.

The list of new saints also included two Italian nuns. Vincenza Maria Poloni founded the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and risked her life to aid cholera victims in 1836. Maria Troncatti spent 44 years as a Salesian missionary among the Indigenous Shuar people in the Amazon rainforest, earning the affectionate title of “Madrecita,” meaning little mother.

Significance of the Ceremony

The canonization ceremony coincided with World Mission Sunday, adding depth to the event’s significance. Pope Leo, reflecting on his past as an Augustinian missionary in Peru, called for prayers for modern missionaries who dedicate their lives to spreading the Gospel in places where it is not known. He stated, “The Church is entirely missionary, but today we pray especially for those men and women who left everything to bring the Gospel to those who do not know it.”

Before officially declaring the saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, read profiles of each individual, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the crowd. After the ceremony, Pope Leo traveled through St. Peter’s Square in his Popemobile, taking time to bless members of the crowd, including babies held aloft by well-wishers.

With this ceremony, Pope Leo XIV has now canonized a total of nine saints. This contrasts with the 898 individuals canonized by Pope Francis during his seven-year tenure and the 482 saints honored by Pope John Paul II over his 27-year papacy. The Catholic Church has recognized over 10,000 saints throughout its history, celebrating a diverse array of lives dedicated to faith and service.