Canonizing the Dead: Pope Leo Gives Catholics Two More Dead People to Venerate

On Sunday, September 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV officially pronounced the canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, declaring them the Roman Catholic Church’s newest “saints.” By papal decree, Catholics are now expected to venerate these two deceased young men—praying to them, asking for their intercession with God, bowing before their relics, and treating them as spiritual mediators. In other words, the Pope has given Catholics two more dead humans to venerate under the guise of devotion.

This is not biblical Christianity—it is idolatry. God’s Word plainly tells us that there is “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Yet, Rome teaches billions to look away from Christ and toward fallible human beings as if they could grant grace or hear prayers. Scripture defines a saint not as someone elevated by a church hierarchy after death, but as every believer who has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and called to live a life set apart from the world (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2).

When the Catholic Church “enrolls” saints, it is essentially claiming divine authority to decide who is righteous and worthy of veneration. But this is a human tradition that directly contradicts the Word of God. Jesus warned against exactly this: “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition… But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:6, 9).

It is tragic that so many people do not understand what the Bible teaches about sainthood. They rely on the decrees of men rather than the plain testimony of Scripture. The truth is simple: no sinful human being, no matter how faithful, deserves veneration. God alone is worthy of worship. To bow before images, kiss relics, or pray to the dead is to replace the Creator with the creature—something Scripture calls idolatry (Romans 1:25).

Scripture is clear: worship belongs to God alone (Revelation 14:7). He is the living God, the One who speaks through His Word and offers salvation solely through His Son, Jesus Christ. To look anywhere else for intercession, blessing, or holiness is to be led away from the only true Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Anything else—no matter how innocent, beautiful, or sincere it may appear—is still a deception. It substitutes the creature for the Creator and opens the door to apostasy disguised as worship.

It is a tragedy that Protestants, once known for their bold stand against Rome’s errors, have now silenced the voice of the Reformation and are today condoning her apostasy. The churches that once spoke up have grown silent, trading biblical truth for Rome’s political influence. Instead of lifting up the everlasting gospel and exposing the deceptions of man-made traditions, many Protestant leaders are now clasping hands with Rome in the pursuit of ecumenism and political alliances. In doing so, they not only betray their own faith but also share in Rome’s sins and stand guilty of the very idolatry their forefathers once condemned.