Pope Leo XIV Declares Seven New Saints in Historic Vatican Ceremony

Vatican City – The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out on Sunday as Pope Leo XIV canonised seven new saints in a landmark ceremony that drew tens of thousands of faithful to the Vatican, marking World Mission Day with a powerful celebration of global Catholic witness.

Among those elevated to sainthood were the first saint from Papua New Guinea, a Venezuelan physician known as the “doctor of the poor,” an Armenian archbishop martyred during the 1915 genocide, and Bartolo Longo, a former Satanic priest who later returned to the Catholic faith and founded the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.

The Pope, dressed in a ceremonial white cassock and mitre, presided over the solemn rite under clear skies in St. Peter’s Square, where large portraits of the seven newly canonised individuals were displayed from the surrounding windows. According to Vatican estimates, around 55,000 people were in attendance.

“Today we honour seven new saints witnesses who, by God’s grace, kept the flame of faith alive,” Pope Leo said in his homily. “May their lives inspire us in our common calling to holiness and their intercession guide us through life’s trials.”

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, formally presented the biographies of each candidate. The Pope then pronounced the official canonisation formula, declaring them saints of the Catholic Church prompting applause and prayerful celebration across the square.

In his address, Pope Leo described the new saints as “martyrs,” “missionaries,” “founders,” and “benefactors of humanity,” praising their service, sacrifice, and enduring faith.

This marked Pope Leo’s second canonisation ceremony since his election as pontiff on May 8. His first was held last month, when he canonised Carlo Acutis, the teenage internet evangelist known as “God’s Influencer,” and Pier Giorgio Frassati, an early 20th-century Italian known for his deep charity and social activism.

The New Saints

Among the newly canonised:

• Peter To Rot – A lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, martyred by Japanese forces during World War II for defending the Christian faith and opposing polygamy.
• Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan – An Armenian Catholic bishop killed during the Armenian genocide in 1915 by Ottoman forces for refusing to convert to Islam.
• Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros – A revered Venezuelan physician and layman who died in 1919. Known for his care for the poor, he was affectionately dubbed “doctor of the poor.”
• Maria Carmen Elena Rendiles Martinez – A Venezuelan nun born without a left arm, who founded the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus and dedicated her life to religious service. She becomes Venezuela’s first female saint.
• Bartolo Longo – An Italian lawyer and former Satanic priest who returned to Catholicism and became a lay Dominican. He is best known for founding a major Marian shrine in Pompeii.
• Vincenza Maria Poloni – Founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, which focused on serving the sick in hospitals in 19th-century Italy.
• Maria Troncatti – A missionary nun with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who spent decades working with indigenous communities in Ecuador during the 1920s.

The Path to Sainthood

Canonisation is the final stage in the process of recognising sainthood in the Catholic Church. It typically requires evidence of at least two miracles, a demonstration of heroic Christian virtue, and that the candidate has been deceased for at least five years. Martyrs may be canonised with fewer requirements.

Sunday’s event reflects Pope Leo’s stated commitment to highlighting diverse models of holiness from around the world men and women whose lives demonstrate the Church’s mission of faith, service, and compassion across cultures and continents.