Pope Francis has recognized the miracles performed by Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Giuseppe Allamano and approved the canonization of 11 Syrian martyrs.
Devin Watkins
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, met with Pope Francis on Thursday and approved the publication of several decrees regarding the canonization of several men and women.
The most interesting thing for young Catholics is, without a doubt, to recognize the miracles attributed to Father Carlo Acutis.
The young believer was born on May 3, 1991 in London, England, and died on October 12, 2006 in Monza, Italy, from leukemia at the age of 15.
Pope Francis beatified the millennial faithful in 2020 in Assisi, where Carlo made numerous pilgrimages and where his remains lie in state.
Miracles by Father Carlo Acutis
The miracle recognized Thursday involved a woman in Costa Rica.
On July 8, 2022, Liliana prayed at Father Carlo’s tomb in Assisi and left a petition. Six days earlier, on July 2, her daughter Valeria fell off her bicycle in Florence, where she was attending university.
She suffered severe head injuries and required a craniotomy and removal of her right occipital bone to relieve pressure on her brain, but doctors said her chances of survival were extremely slim.
Liliana’s secretary immediately began praying to Father Carlo Acutis, and on July 8th, Liliana made a pilgrimage to his tomb in Assisi.
That same day, the hospital informed us that Valeria had begun breathing on her own, and the next day she began moving and partially speaking again.
On July 18, a CT scan proved that the bleeding had disappeared, and Valeria was transferred to rehabilitation therapy on August 11. Her condition improved rapidly, and on September 2, Valeria and Liliana made another pilgrimage to Assisi to give thanks for Carlo’s intercession.
In a papal bull released on Thursday, Pope Francis announced he would convene a Congregation of Cardinals to consider the canonization of Fathers Carlo Acutis, Giuseppe Alamano, Marie-Léonie Paradis and Elena Guerra.
Miracles, Martyrdom, and Heroic Virtue
The decree also recognized miracles performed by St. Giuseppe Allamano (1851-1926), an Italian-born priest who founded the Missionaries of the Consolata.
The miracle concerned the healing of Sorino Yanomami, an indigenous Cape Verdean, who was attacked by a jaguar in the Amazon rainforest on February 7, 1996.
Despite being left with part of his brain exposed, Solino survived the ordeal thanks to surgery at Boa Vista and the intercession of Saint Alamano after several faithful prayed a novena for him.
Pope Francis also credited the intercession of the Italian-born priest, Father Giovanni Merlini (1795-1873), of the Missionaries of Holy Blood.
The Pope recognized the martyrdom of the Polish priest and Servant of God Stanislav Kostka Streich (1902-1938) and the Hungarian-born lay woman and Servant of God Maria Magdolna Boddi (1921-1945), both of whom were murdered by Communists out of hatred for their faith.
The Edict also recognized the heroic virtues of the Servants of God Guglielmo Gattiani (Italian Capuchin priest, 1914-1999), Ismaele Molinello Novillo (Spanish lay priest, 1917-1938) and Ismaele Molinello Novillo (Italian lay priest, 1911-1974).
The Pope approved the vote of the Ordinary Congregation of Cardinals and Bishops “in favor of the canonization of Blessed Emanuele Ruiz of the Friars Minor and seven of his companions, as well as the faithful Francis, Abdel Muti and Raffaele Massabchi, who were murdered in Damascus (Syria) between 9 and 10 July 1860, out of hatred for the faith.”