Pope Leo XIV confirmed an ordinary public consistory on 13 June to discuss the future canonization of eight Blesseds.
Newsroom (23/06/2025 14:15, Gaudium Press) With a solemn liturgy, Pope Leo XIV planned to open his first ordinary public consistory in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, at 9am (local time) on Friday, 13 June 2025.
The ordinary public consistory is a formal meeting of the Pope with the cardinals to deliberate and decide on important Church matters, such as canonizations.
In the presence of the cardinals resident in Rome, a vote will be taken on the canonization of eight people whose lives have been marked by fidelity to the Faith, service to others and, in two cases, martyrdom.
The consistory marks a significant step in the canonization process and is also a moment when the worldwide Catholic Church turns its attention to outstanding witnesses to the Faith.
Leo XIV, in office since May 2025, is thus presiding over a consistory of this kind for the first time, marking a new direction in his pontificate.
Candidates for canonization
The Blesseds who will be canonized come from different continents, centuries and areas. Two martyrs stand out in particular:
Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, the Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin, was executed in 1915 during the Armenian genocide. His death is considered a testimony to his unwavering faith and a reminder of the persecution of Christians in the Middle East
Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, was murdered for his pastoral work during the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. His courage as a family man and evangelizer continues to inspire many of the faithful in the Pacific region.
Alongside these martyrs are the founders of religious communities whose work continues today in social and pastoral service:
Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy in Verona, dedicated her life to caring for the sick and the poor in the 19th century.
María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, a Venezuelan nun, founded the Congregation of the Handmaids of Jesus with the aim of providing spiritual and social assistance to women living in poverty.
Maria Troncatti, a missionary sister and member of the Salesian Sisters, worked in the Amazon region of Ecuador, where she provided medical and pastoral care to indigenous communities.
Three lay people whose holiness was manifested in their daily lives:
José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a Venezuelan doctor, is already venerated in Latin America as a ‘doctor of the poor’. His deep piety and medical commitment have made him a popular figure.
Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian student, mountaineer and Christian committed to the Third Order of the Dominicans, continues to impress young believers around the world with his social dedication and spiritual depth.
Bartolo Longo, a former lawyer and converted Satanist, became one of the great promoters of the Rosary and the Shrine of Pompeii. His life is a powerful testimony to conversion and renewal.
The consistory’s decision paves the way for the official canonization, which will take place later in a solemn liturgy, probably in St. Peter’s Square.
With files from Aica
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
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