Polio survivor canonised by Pope Leo XIV

Pier Giorgio Frassati

On September 7, Pope Leo XIV canonised two loved Italian figures, both known for their deep faith and youthful devotion, during an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square attended by an estimated 80,000 people.

Declared saints were Pier Giorgio Frassati, a devout student and outdoorsman who died of polio in 1925 at the age of 24, and Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer wizard who passed away from leukemia in 2006. Both were praised for using their short lives to serve God and inspire others.

“These new saints show us that the greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” Pope Leo said in his Sunday homily. “They invite all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to raise them up and make them masterpieces.”

Frassati was described by the Pope as a “beacon of lay spirituality,” known for his hidden acts of service among the poor in the slums of Turin.

According to the Frassati Catholic Academy, he lived modestly, often giving away food, money, or anything people asked of him. It’s believed he contracted polio from those he cared for, leading to his early death.

Carlo Acutis, born May 3, 1991, used his technical skills to build a multilingual website cataloging Eucharistic miracles recognised by the Church. He became ill in October 2006 and died within days of being diagnosed with acute leukemia. He is buried in Assisi, and is often hailed as a modern saint for the digital age.

What is canonisation?

Canonisation is the final step in declaring a deceased person a saint. To reach this stage, two verified miracles normally need to be attributed to prayers made to the candidate after they have been beatified.

Pope Francis attributed two miracles to Pier Giorgio Frassati and to Carlo Acutis, and so the test was passed.