Pope Leo XIV Canonizes Seven New Saints in Historic Vatican Ceremony

Pope Leo XIV led a historic canonization ceremony on October 19, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square, where he declared seven new saints in a solemn event attended by approximately 55,000 faithful. This significant occasion, held under sunny skies on World Mission Day, marked the elevation of individuals from diverse continents and backgrounds—each recognized for their exemplary Christian lives, dedication to the poor and sick, martyrdom, and evangelization efforts.

Among the newly canonized was Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea who was martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II, becoming the first saint from his nation. Another revered figure was Archbishop Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian Catholic bishop killed in 1915 during the Armenian genocide. From Venezuela, the Vatican canonized Dr. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a beloved layman known as the “doctor of the poor,” and Sister María Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez, who despite being born without a left arm founded the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus and became Venezuela’s first female saint.

The ceremony also honored three Italian nuns: Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy in Verona dedicated to hospital care; Maria Troncatti, a Salesian missionary acclaimed for her work among indigenous populations in Ecuador; and a well-known lay figure, Bartolo Longo, formerly a Satanic priest who re-embraced Catholicism and established the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV described the new saints as “witnesses who kept the lamp of faith burning,” urging the faithful to seek their intercession and be inspired by their examples of holiness. This canonization was Pope Leo’s second as the first US-born pontiff since his election in May 2025, continuing his pastoral mission to highlight faith’s power amid trials and social challenges.

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The rite, the final step in the journey to sainthood, follows strict Church requirements including the confirmation of miracles attributed to the candidates, exemplary Christian virtue, and a waiting period of at least five years after death. These seven individuals’ stories embody courage, selflessness, and missionary zeal that resonate across cultures and generations.

The Vatican celebration was marked by large portraits of the new saints displayed prominently over St. Peter’s Square and the joyful ringing of bells, symbolizing the Church’s enduring devotion to holiness and service worldwide .