Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - Pope Leo XIV canonized seven religious figures who were posthumously elevated to sainthood on Sunday, October 19, with the group notably including a former Satanic priest who became a Catholic legend.
More than 70,000 onlookers gathered at the Vatican to witness
the historic canonization, the second performed by Pope Leo XIV since his
selection as the new leader of the Catholic Church in May.
Among the celebrated figures was Bartolo Longo, an Italian
lawyer and former high-ranking Satanic priest who returned to Catholicism.
Longo, who died in 1926 at the age of 85, was instrumental in founding the
Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.
Longo's deviation from the Catholic Church began after losing
his mother early in life. Around the same time, Giuseppe Garibaldi was
advocating for the elimination of papal city states in the effort to unify
Italy. Longo soon became involved in the occult, quickly rising to a
high-ranking position within the Satanic Church where he presided over services
and rituals, including promising himself to the devil.
His departure from Catholicism was short-lived, however. He
rededicated himself to the church with renewed fervor, reportedly thanks to the
influence of his family and a professor at the University of Naples, where he
was studying law. Before being promoted to a saint, Bartolo was already
informally regarded as a patron saint for those struggling with their spiritual
life.
The remaining figures newly canonized include an archbishop
killed during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, a
Venezuelan "doctor of the poor," and three nuns who dedicated their
lives to charity.
Portraits of the "seven witnesses" were unveiled in
the windows overlooking St. Peter's Square. During the homily, the Pope stated:
“Today we have before us seven witnesses, the new Saints, who, with God’s
grace, kept the lamp of faith burning. May their intercession assist us in our
trials and their example inspire us in our shared vocation to holiness.
To be canonized as a saint, a deceased person must have
performed at least two recorded miracles and led an exemplary Christian life.
Last month, Pope Leo XIV had anointed Carlo Acutis
known as “God’s Influencer” and Pier Giorgio Frassati to sainthood.
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