Pope Leo XIV has officially canonized Bartolo Longo, a former Satanic priest who later devoted his life to faith and charity, along with six others newly recognized as saints of the Catholic Church.
Born in 1841 in Latiano, Italy, Longo was trained as a lawyer. Following his father’s death, he drifted into occult practices and became involved in Satanic rituals, reportedly serving as a priest of the sect and allegedly making a pact with a demon.
However, Longo’s life took a dramatic turn after he encountered Professor Vincenzo Pepe, who guided him back to the Catholic faith. Renouncing Satanism, Longo took a vow of celibacy and dedicated himself entirely to acts of service and devotion.
He went on to found several charitable institutions, including the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, an orphanage for girls in 1887, and an institute for the sons of prisoners in 1892. In 1922, he established another institute for the daughters of prisoners and later volunteered for two years at the Neapolitan Hospital for Incurables.
Longo died in 1926, remembered for his remarkable transformation from a life of darkness to one of faith, compassion, and holiness—a journey that ultimately led to his canonization.
During the canonization ceremony on October 19, Pope Leo XIV said:
“Today we have before us seven witnesses—the new saints—who, with God’s grace, kept the lamp of faith burning. May their intercession guide us through trials and inspire us in our call to holiness.”
Longo’s faith deepened after he became a Third Order Dominican in 1871, working tirelessly to rekindle devotion among the people of Pompeii. According to the Catholic News Agency, miracles were soon reported after he received and displayed a portrait of Our Lady of the Rosary, including the healing of a 12-year-old girl once believed to be incurably epileptic.
Reflecting on his legacy, Archbishop Tommaso Caputo of Pompeii told EWTN:
“Longo arrived in Pompeii to care for the countess’s estates, and while walking through those dangerous streets plagued by bandits and malaria, he felt a divine calling that changed his life forever.”
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