Pope Leo XIV officially canonized seven religious figures on Sunday, October 19, during a grand ceremony at the Vatican — a historic event that drew more than 70,000 spectators. Among those elevated to sainthood was Bartolo Longo, a former Satanic priest who later became a devout Catholic and one of the Church’s most remarkable converts.
This marks the second canonization conducted by Pope Leo XIV since his appointment as the head of the Catholic Church in May.
Bartolo Longo, once an Italian lawyer and high-ranking member of the Satanic Church, turned away from his dark past to embrace the faith he had rejected. Born in Italy, Longo’s estrangement from Catholicism began after the early death of his mother, during a period of political upheaval led by Giuseppe Garibaldi’s campaign to dissolve papal territories. In his spiritual confusion, Longo was drawn into occult practices, eventually becoming a priest within the Satanic movement and even dedicating himself to the devil.
However, under the influence of his family and a devout professor at the University of Naples, where he studied law, Longo experienced a profound conversion. He returned to Catholicism with renewed conviction, dedicating his life to the Church and charitable works. He went on to establish the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii before his death in 1926 at age 85.
Before his formal canonization, Longo was already widely regarded as a spiritual intercessor for those struggling with faith and redemption.
In addition to Longo, the newly canonized saints include an archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, a Venezuelan physician known as the “doctor of the poor,” and three nuns renowned for their lifelong service to the needy.
During the ceremony, portraits of the seven saints were displayed from the windows overlooking St. Peter’s Square. In his homily, 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 strengthen us in trials and their example inspire us toward holiness.”
Canonization in the Catholic Church requires evidence of at least two verified miracles and a life of exemplary Christian virtue.
Just last month, Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis, popularly known as “God’s Influencer,” and Pier Giorgio Frassati, continuing his emphasis on highlighting modern models of faith and devotion.
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