Acutis and Frassati proclaimed saints. Pope Leo: "Young people do not waste your lives".

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati are saints. They were proclaimed saints by the Pope in the canonisation rite presided over on the parvis of St Peter's Basilica.

This is his first canonisation since he was elected to the throne of Peter. Earlier, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - next to him the two postulators - summarised the lives of the two young men who died of a sudden and fulminating illness. The Church thus now has two new young saints, saints from 'next door'.

"Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation addressed to all of us, especially the young, not to waste life, but to direct it upwards and make it a masterpiece," Pope Leo said in his homily at St Peter's Mass. Pope Leo added: "They encourage us with their words: 'Not I, but God,' said Charles. And Pier Giorgio: 'If you have God as the centre of all your actions, then you will reach the end'. This is the simple but winning formula,' said Pope Leo, 'of their holiness. The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside God's plan'.

Papa Leone: beautiful day

"Good morning and good Sunday. Welcome brothers and sisters, today is a beautiful day for Italy and for the whole world". This is how Pope Leo descended, by surprise, on the parvis of St. Peter's Square to greet those who are participating in the canonisation ceremony of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. The pontiff wanted to greet all those present, especially the young people "who have come - he said - to this Holy Mass from all over the world. It is truly a blessing from the Lord to find us here'. Pope Prevost then greeted the relatives of the new saints who, he concluded, had taught "love for Jesus Christ, for the Eucharist, but also love for the poor".