Latest news with #canonisation
Irish Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Oliver Plunkett's story would make a great film – it's a shame modern, secular Ireland has forgotten him
Interest in Oliver Plunkett has fluctuated over the four centuries since he was found guilty of treason in a blatant miscarriage of justice in 1681, after which he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn . Interest may have peaked in the 1970s. In 1975, there was nearly a diplomatic incident because then taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and president Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh were vying to represent Ireland at the canonisation in Rome . Cosgrave won and even proclaimed the first reading at the canonisation Mass. Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków also attended, invited by Cardinal William Conway. Four years later, now Pope John Paul II, he prayed before the relics of St Oliver Plunkett at Drogheda before his famous plea for peace. Citing Oliver Plunkett as an exemplar of forgiveness, he begged 'in the language of passionate pleading ... on my knees ... turn away from the paths of violence and ... return to the ways of peace'. More than 50 years before, in 1920, when Terence McSwiney was Lord Mayor of Cork, Sinn Féin councillors successfully proposed that George's Street be renamed Oliver Plunkett Street in honour of his beatification. READ MORE This year marks the 400th anniversary of Oliver Plunkett's birth and the 50th since his canonisation. But in contrast, the national coverage has been scant and the response muted, aside from in places directly associated with the saint, such as Loughcrew in Co Meath, where he was born, Armagh, where he was primate, and Drogheda, the home of the national shrine in St Peter's Church. An extensive programme , concluding in November, has been held in these areas involving Masses and ecumenical services, walks, tours, exhibitions, concerts and competitions, thanks to a hard-working committee. It is not the first time that Oliver Plunkett has fallen from national attention. For example, in the 200 years after his death, only a loyal few kept his memory alive. Tommy Burns, writing in the Commemorative Book compiled by the St Oliver 400 Committee, includes in that small number the Siena Dominican Sisters in Drogheda. They preserved the executed archbishop's head for nearly 200 years, which sometimes involved great personal risk. While the relic may appear grisly to modern sensibilities, it is venerated not for ghoulish reasons but as evidence of his ultimate sacrifice for his faith. [ From the archive: Highlighting cruelty of St Oliver Plunkett's execution reaffirms our commitment to faith Opens in new window ] Oliver Plunkett's story would make a great film. He was connected to many of the Hiberno-Norman landed families. When he chose to be a priest, he also chose exile in Rome, as no seminary could operate in Ireland. He became a well-regarded professor of theology at the College for the Propagation of the Faith. When appointed as Archbishop of Armagh in 1670, the memory of Cromwell's slaughter of thousands in Drogheda and Wexford followed by deliberately induced famine that reduced the population by up to 25 per cent was still fresh. Plunkett managed to navigate a political situation where Catholics officially had no civil rights. It sometimes necessitated disguise as an English officer or hiding in caves. He worked tirelessly to be on good terms with Protestant bishops and included Protestant students in a newly established Jesuit school in Drogheda. The Irish Catholic Church was in chaos – religious orders fighting over property, alcohol-abusing priests leading scandalous lives, and the Rapparees – or partisans – launching raids. The Rapparees were viewed either as guerrilla defenders of fellow dispossessed Catholics or lawless criminals, and probably contained elements of both. Oliver Plunkett negotiated a settlement with the Rapparees in Tyrone, leading to an unprecedented peace. Some of the clerics he reprimanded or removed from office would eventually give false testimony against him, implicating him in Titus Oates' entirely fictitious Popish plot. Modern, secular Ireland does not have much space for a story like Oliver Plunkett's or, indeed, for contemporary examples of Christian persecution. But as Archbishop Eamon Martin said in a homily in Loughcrew last Sunday, 'sadly, even in 2025, martyrdom remains a reality for many of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world'. Archbishop Martin cited the recent murder of 200 Christians in western Nigeria. Fulani armed groups descended on a village full of displaced Christians and murdered them with machetes, before setting fire to their bodies. According to a UK Parliament research briefing , 4,476 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons in 2024. Seventy per cent of those killed were in Nigeria. The world mostly ignores it. The BBC recently provided a perfect example of this reluctance to ascribe religious motives in an explainer on the 200 deaths. It laid the blame on farmer versus herder conflicts and climate change before mentioning religion as an additional factor. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Fulani armed groups in northwest Nigeria engage in 'kidnapping, rape, property and cattle theft, illegal possession of weapons, and murder'. While the motivation behind individual attacks can be difficult to verify, they 'significantly restrict freedom of religion or belief, particularly for the predominantly Christian communities that live there'. We care about the shocking conditions of Palestinian children in Gaza because we see them daily on our screens. The courage and faith of St Oliver might remind us that other persecuted communities, including Christians, deserve visibility and no less of our concern.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo announces when British-born ‘God's Influencer' Carlo Acutis will finally be canonised
Pope Leo XIV has revealed that the Catholic Church's first 'millennial-era saint' Carlo Acutis will be canonised on September 7. Earlier this month, the Pope held his first ordinary public consistory since being elected in May, in which he formally approved the canonisations of eight saints Acutis' beatification was originally scheduled for April 27, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. London-born Acutis was 15 when he died in northern Italy in 2006 from leukemia. He has become enormously popular among young Catholics who have been flocking to his tomb in Assisi, which has become a pilgrimage site. It is also the home of his 13-century idol Saint Francis, who dedicated his life to the care of the poor. It features a glass coffin in which Acutis can be seen dressed in trainers, jeans and a sweatshirt. In many respects, Acutis was a normal fifteen-year-old. But the teen, who taught catechism in a local parish and did outreach to the homeless, has become known worldwide for his religious devotion and the attribution of miracles since his passing. Leo said Acutis will be canonised along with another Italian Catholic, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young at 24 after contracting polio in 1925. Acutis' canonisation comes aftet the Vatican judged that the youngster interceded from heaven help cure two people in life-threatening circumstances, paving the way for him to be canonised as the first 'millenial saint'. Antonia Salzano, his mother, said Acutis had a 'special relationship' with God from an early age, even though her family was not religious. Aged seven, he wrote: 'My life plan is to be always close to Jesus'. Born in London in 1991 to an Italian mother and a half-English, half-Italian father who was working in the UK as a merchant banker, Carlo grew up in Milan where he took care of his parish website and later that of a Vatican-based academy. As a young child, he would donate his money to the poor, and when he was old enough spent his evenings cooking and delivering meals to the homeless. Then, at the end of each day, Carlo would take time to reflect on his life, how he treated his friends, teachers and parents and how he could eliminate any form of sin that he may have committed. At the turn of the millennium, the young boy began teaching himself computer programming, which he would use to share information about his beliefs. The teen has become known worldwide for his religious devotion and the attribution of miracles since his passing ouvenirs of Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 aged 15, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, April 10, 2025 He soon set up a website, 'The Eucharistic Miracles of the World', where he researched and documented miracles attributed with the Eucharist. The website says it 'aimed at confirming faith in the real presence of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist'. Carlo's diagnosis with leukaemia in October 2006 came as a horrifying shock. The disease can take several forms but affects the blood cells in bone marrow. Symptoms include tiredness, bruising and bleeding, repeated infections and high temperatures, per Blood Cancer UK. The disease overwhelmingly affects young people. While it is not currently curable, it is possible to treat. In spite of his diagnosis, Carlo reassured his parents: 'I'm happy to die because I've lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't have pleased God.' Carlo Acutis died on October 12, 2006.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
‘God's Influencer' to become first millennial saint
Carlo Acutis died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15. (AP pic) VATICAN CITY : Italian millennial Carlo Acutis, dubbed 'God's Influencer', will be elevated to sainthood in September after the original ceremony was delayed by Pope Francis's death in April, the Vatican said today. Pope Leo XIV rescheduled to Sept 7 the canonisation of Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15. He had been set to be made a saint on April 27. Nicknamed the 'Cyber Apostle', the teenager had an ardent faith from a young age and used his computer skills to spread the Catholic faith online, notably creating a digital exhibition on miracles. Italian student Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), renowned for his social commitment and passion for mountain climbing, will be canonised on the same day. Leo will raise seven others to sainthood on Oct 19. They include Papua New Guinea's first saint, Pierre To Rot, a lay catechist executed by Japan in 1945, Ignace Shoukrallah Maloyan, an archbishop who died in 1915 and the Venezuelan 'doctor of the poor' Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros, who died in 1919.
Malay Mail
15-06-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
‘God's Influencer' Carlo Acutis to become first millennial saint in September
ROME, June 15 — Italian millennial Carlo Acutis, dubbed 'God's Influencer', will be elevated to sainthood in September after the original ceremony was delayed by Pope Francis's death in April, the Vatican said Friday. Pope Leo XIV rescheduled to September 7 the canonisation of Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15. He had been set to be made a saint on April 27. Nicknamed the 'Cyber Apostle', the teenager had an ardent faith from a young age and used his computer skills to spread the Catholic faith online, notably creating a digital exhibition on miracles. Italian student Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), renowned for his social commitment and passion for mountain climbing, will be canonised on the same day. Leo will raise seven others to sainthood on October 19. They include Papua New Guinea's first saint, Pierre To Rot, a lay catechist executed by Japan in 1945, Ignace Shoukrallah Maloyan, an archbishop who died in 1915 and the Venezuelan 'doctor of the poor' Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros, who died in 1919. — AFP
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Pope confirms when millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonised
Pope Leo XIV has announced that Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church 's first millennial-era saint, will be canonised on September 7. The announcement was made during a consistory, a meeting of cardinals convened to set the dates for the canonisation of several new saints. Acutis's canonisation was initially planned for April 27 but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Acutis died at the age of 15 in 2006 in northern Italy after a brief battle with leukemia. He has gained immense popularity, particularly among young Catholics, who have been visiting his tomb in Assisi in large numbers. Despite enjoying typical pastimes such as hiking, video games, and spending time with friends, Acutis also taught catechism in his local parish and engaged in outreach to the homeless. He used his computer skills to create an online exhibit showcasing over 100 eucharistic miracles recognised by the Church throughout history. His tomb in Assisi has become a pilgrimage site, especially during the 2025 Holy Year underway. It features a glass coffin in which Acutis can be seen dressed in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt. The outpouring of devotion has surprised even Assisi 's bishop, the Rev. Domenico Sorrentino. He described the scene as a "volcano of grace erupting", noting the stark contrast to the relative obscurity of the Santuario della Spogliazione just two decades prior. What was once a "forgotten" church next to his residence is now a vibrant center of pilgrimage, thanks to the inspiring story of Carlo. Over the last year, more than a million pilgrims paid homage to the teen, Rev. Sorrentino said, drawn by 'his smiling way of living our faith'. In setting the September 7 date, Leo announced that Acutis would be canonised along with another Italian Catholic, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young at age 24 after contracting polio.
