Canonization of Frassati-Acutis: Two Faces, One Gospel

After the Jubilee of Youth, which saw an absolutely extraordinary turnout, far exceeding even the most optimistic estimates, another great event awaits young people around the world: the joint canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, scheduled for Sunday, September 7, 2025.

The unified celebration, by order of Pope Leo XIV, is the result of the postponement of Acutis's canonization, originally scheduled for April 27, 2025, which was postponed following the death of Pope Francis. The decision to reunite the two figures is intended to send a powerful message to young people: a holiness lived authentically in two different eras, yet united by a single purpose.

Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), a Milanese , known as the "apostle of the Eucharist" and "God's influencer," used the internet to spread Eucharistic miracles. Beatified in 2020, he became a saint thanks to the recognition of two miracles attributed to his intercession—the healing of a Brazilian child and that of a young Costa Rican woman after a serious accident. His life offers an example of holiness in everyday digital life, with fidelity to traditional ecclesial instruments: Mass, the Rosary, devotion, and charity.

Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), a Dominican tertiary and member of Catholic Action from Turin, was characterized by a profound faith lived through social commitment to the poor and ecclesial associations. He was beatified by John Paul II in 1990 and is considered an expression of the living Beatitudes, as well as a model of authentic laity. He too was faithful to daily Mass, prayer, and charity toward the poor.

The canonization comes after the highly technical nature of the process: formal initiation, recognition of supernatural miracles, and rigorous verification by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, according to the discipline codified in the Code of Canon Law.

Both heroically practiced the Vitæ heroicae virtutis through the theological and cardinal virtues: tenacious faith, steadfast hope, consistent charity towards others, spiritual spontaneity rooted in daily ecclesial practices such as the Mass, Communion and the Rosary.

Both lay people, young, they represent, in the most rigorous ecclesial orthodoxy, a path to holiness achievable by anyone living in the most modest contemporary or historical contexts, without mystical retreats or extraordinary charisms, but with simple fidelity to the Church.

Acutis combined faith and modernity, using "Eucharist + Internet" to proclaim the Gospel; Frassati embodied Eucharistic devotion in concrete gestures of solidarity toward the poor, in the social and cultural context of his time.

The pastoral decision to unite the canonizations into one great ecclesial celebration is therefore intended to build a bridge between generations, emphasizing that holiness is not a legacy of distant times or exclusive ascetic spheres. It is a response to the pedagogy of holiness, capable of speaking to new generations, offering concrete models of Christian life lived in family, school, or digital environments, with an eye toward fraternity and transcendence.