At the first Ordinary Public Consistory held on June 13th, Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals made a significant announcement: the canonizations of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlo Acutis have been scheduled together for September 7th, 2025.
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Originally planned for separate ceremonies during the Jubilee Year 2025, the canonizations were rescheduled following the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Carlo Acutis, who died at 15, used his talent for computers to spread Eucharistic devotion online. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at 24, lived a full life of study, charity, mountain climbing, and active participation in public life.
EWTN has produced two documentaries on the lives of these young saints. Among them is To the Top – Pier Giorgio Frassati, produced by Cristiana Video in collaboration with EWTN, and written and directed by Daniela Guerrieri. The film received the 2025 MOIGE Award in Italy, which honors excellence in family-friendly television and digital programming.
Daniela Guerrieri, Award‑Winning Writer & Director, explained, “He brought faith into every aspect of his life. He did not renounce any part of life — friendship, political engagement, or study — but rather infused each of them with the strength, the beauty, and the joy of faith. In this way, he was a witness to the happiness that comes from faith.”
MOIGE, the Italian Parents’ Movement, honors productions like this for their power to inspire and guide young people — especially in the midst of today’s challenging media landscape.
Speaking about the award, MOIGE Vice President Elisabetta Gavasci Scala explains:
“We are always looking for positive role models for young people, so whenever we find something that offers a positive example, we seek it out and select it. This program was recommended to us, and we immediately loved it because it features a young man who loves life, loves mountains, and enjoys being with his friends.”
Daniela Guerrieri has also produced a documentary for EWTN on the life of Carlo Acutis:
“The work on Carlo Acutis was different from that on Frassati, because it wasn’t a fiction film but a documentary. So we primarily worked with interviews.
“But these interviews left a deep impression upon us, because we spoke with people who had known him personally — not only his mother, of course, but also his Indian housekeeper, his friends from Assisi, and all those who, in one way or another, were part of his brief life.
“And this is what strikes you most about Carlo: despite such a short life, he was able to live his faith to the full and his spiritual dimension in a way that truly moves and even shocks you.”
The canonizations of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis will take place on September 7th, 2025, bringing together young people from around the world for a single ceremony at the heart of the Catholic Church in Rome.
FIND THE POPE’S BIOGRAPHY HERE
Adapted by Jacob Stein
Mirko Testa contributed to this story; Produced by Alexey Gotovosky; Camera by Alberto Basile; Special thanks & Credits: MOIGE
