Two Young Saints are Witnesses to Light for our Times

Philatelic Issue for the Canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

On September 7, 2025, St. Peter’s Square becomes a crossroads of faith and hope, to welcome tens of thousands of pilgrims, especially young people, from every corner of the world. In this solemn and joyful setting, the Church proclaims Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati - two faces of youthful holiness, lived with steadfast commitment, enthusiasm, and contagious joy.

In celebration of this historic occasion, Vatican City, Italy, San Marino, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta have created a prestigious joint philatelic issue, depicting the radiant faces of the two new saints. This symbolic gesture brings together spirituality, art, and memory, paying tribute to two figures capable of speaking to the hearts of new generations.

Carlo Acutis, the “cyber-apostle of the Eucharist,” will be the first millennial to be canonized. Born in 1991 and passing away at just 15 years of age, he knew how to inhabit the digital world with creativity and dedication in service of the Gospel. His website on Eucharistic miracles, still visited by thousands of faithful today, is a living testimony of his deep love for the Eucharist, which he called his “highway to Heaven.”

Pier Giorgio Frassati, born in 1901, was a university student, avid mountaineer, and Dominican tertiary. His life, marked by intense charitable activity and profound spirituality, is a concrete example of the Gospel lived out in daily life. With his famous motto “To the heights,” he inspired generations of young people to seek beauty, justice, and holiness.

This philatelic issue is not only a commemorative tribute; it is also an invitation to rediscover holiness as a promising, loyal, and joyful vocation for every young person. In a world that often feels lost, Carlo and Pier Giorgio point the way toward authenticity, self-giving, and communion with God, the source of all true happiness. Their witness reminds us that young people can be prophets of a more beautiful and fraternal world, through love, hope and the beauty of a faith lived with enthusiasm.

The philatelic issue will accompany events, exhibitions, and pilgrimages linked to the canonization, becoming small signs of recollection and living testimony.