Pope: ‘New saints are not heroes but authentic men and women’

Vatican City (Vatican), 19 October (LaPresse) – The new saints of the Church are not ‘heroes or champions of some ideal, but authentic men and women.’ Pope Leo XIV said this during his homily at the canonisation ceremony for the seven new saints of the Church. ‘These faithful friends of Christ are martyrs for their faith,’ the Pope continued, “such as Bishop Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan and catechist Peter To Rot; they are evangelisers and missionaries, such as Sister Maria Troncatti; they are charismatic founders, such as Sister Vincenza Maria Poloni and Sister Carmen Rendiles Martínez; with their hearts burning with devotion, they are benefactors of humanity, like Bartolo Longo and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros. May their intercession assist us in our trials and their example inspire us in our common vocation to holiness. As we journey towards this goal, let us pray without ceasing, steadfast in what we have learned and firmly believe. Faith on earth thus sustains the hope of heaven.”