Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles greets perpetual pilgrims of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles in Los Angeles, California, on June 22, 2025. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN

CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2025 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

Archbishop José H. Gómez has announced a new initiative of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to support parishes in providing essential services to immigrant families affected by recent immigration enforcement policies. 

The archdiocese will partner with area businesses and philanthropists to administer the Family Assistance Program, which will ensure that “every dollar” will provide direct aid such as groceries, meals, and prescription deliveries to those in crisis.

“Many of our friends and family, our neighbors and fellow parishioners, are afraid and anxious,” said Gómez, who unveiled the new program at a press conference at St. Patrick Church in South Los Angeles on July 23. “These are good, hardworking men and women, people of faith, people who have been in this country for a long time and are making important contributions to our economy who are now afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported.” 

At the press conference, the archbishop said he is working with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to “find a practical, peaceful solution to the situation with the federal authorities.”

Residents of the city have been on edge after weeks of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids by heavily armed agents at area businesses. A federal judge in Los Angeles temporarily blocked ICE’s actions on July 11 after local business leaders and civil and immigrants’ rights groups sued the Trump administration on July 2.

The Catholic Association for Latino Leadership (CALL) and Parishioners Federal Credit Union have donated funds to the archdiocesan initiative, along with Vallarta Supermarkets, a chain of grocery stores that specializes in Mexican food, which has pledged to donate grocery gift cards to the program.

“Never in my life did I think that I would see the day where Catholics are afraid to go to church, afraid to send their children to school,” said Michael Molina, chair of CALL’s board of directors, who announced the organization of local business leaders will make a $10,000 donation to the program. He also said the group will encourage its members to make individual donations.

“As Catholics, we are called to share God’s mercy with those in need,” Molina said. “We reiterate our commitment to live the teachings of the Gospels of love and compassion for our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and businessman Rick Caruso donated $50,000 to the initiative and committed to matching additional donations up to $50,000 made through the archdiocese’s website.

“I am proud to help support these families who work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to our economy,” Caruso, a parishioner of St. Monica’s Church in Santa Monica, said. “America is a nation of immigrants, which is why I am teaming up with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to provide direct support for families that are struggling financially.”

The CEO of the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company, David Socha, made a financial contribution and donated toys to comfort children affected by the Trump administration’s enforcement actions.

“We can’t forget the human aspect of these issues,” Socha said. “No matter what side of this issue you are on, the children are some of the worst affected … We are glad to be able to bring them, and their loved ones, comfort and support.”

Across Southern California, Catholic parishes have witnessed the impact of family separations, with parents detained and households left without income. Many immigrants fear leaving their homes, getting arrested, and being separated from their families.

The bishop of San Bernardino, California, Alberto Rojas, recently granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday for those with such fears.

Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles greets perpetual pilgrims of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles in Los Angeles, California, on June 22, 2025. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN

CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2025 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

Archbishop José H. Gómez has announced a new initiative of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to support parishes in providing essential services to immigrant families affected by recent immigration enforcement policies. 

The archdiocese will partner with area businesses and philanthropists to administer the Family Assistance Program, which will ensure that “every dollar” will provide direct aid such as groceries, meals, and prescription deliveries to those in crisis.

“Many of our friends and family, our neighbors and fellow parishioners, are afraid and anxious,” said Gómez, who unveiled the new program at a press conference at St. Patrick Church in South Los Angeles on July 23. “These are good, hardworking men and women, people of faith, people who have been in this country for a long time and are making important contributions to our economy who are now afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported.” 

At the press conference, the archbishop said he is working with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to “find a practical, peaceful solution to the situation with the federal authorities.”

Residents of the city have been on edge after weeks of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids by heavily armed agents at area businesses. A federal judge in Los Angeles temporarily blocked ICE’s actions on July 11 after local business leaders and civil and immigrants’ rights groups sued the Trump administration on July 2.

The Catholic Association for Latino Leadership (CALL) and Parishioners Federal Credit Union have donated funds to the archdiocesan initiative, along with Vallarta Supermarkets, a chain of grocery stores that specializes in Mexican food, which has pledged to donate grocery gift cards to the program.

“Never in my life did I think that I would see the day where Catholics are afraid to go to church, afraid to send their children to school,” said Michael Molina, chair of CALL’s board of directors, who announced the organization of local business leaders will make a $10,000 donation to the program. He also said the group will encourage its members to make individual donations.

“As Catholics, we are called to share God’s mercy with those in need,” Molina said. “We reiterate our commitment to live the teachings of the Gospels of love and compassion for our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and businessman Rick Caruso donated $50,000 to the initiative and committed to matching additional donations up to $50,000 made through the archdiocese’s website.

“I am proud to help support these families who work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to our economy,” Caruso, a parishioner of St. Monica’s Church in Santa Monica, said. “America is a nation of immigrants, which is why I am teaming up with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to provide direct support for families that are struggling financially.”

The CEO of the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company, David Socha, made a financial contribution and donated toys to comfort children affected by the Trump administration’s enforcement actions.

“We can’t forget the human aspect of these issues,” Socha said. “No matter what side of this issue you are on, the children are some of the worst affected … We are glad to be able to bring them, and their loved ones, comfort and support.”

Across Southern California, Catholic parishes have witnessed the impact of family separations, with parents detained and households left without income. Many immigrants fear leaving their homes, getting arrested, and being separated from their families.

The bishop of San Bernardino, California, Alberto Rojas, recently granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday for those with such fears.

Pope Leo XIV waves as the popemobile passes by a crowd of American pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s general audience on June 18, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

A new bill before Congress would “safeguard” the domestic citizenship of any American who is elected pope of the Catholic Church, including exempting him from paying taxes to the IRS.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado, proposed the bill, saying it “ensures that any American who answers the call to lead more than a billion Catholics worldwide can do so without risking his citizenship or facing unnecessary tax burdens.”

While the text of the bill is not yet available, Hurd said in a statement on his congressional website the bill is meant “to protect the citizenship of, and provide tax-exempt status to, any American elected as the supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.”

“This legislation recognizes the extraordinary nature of the papacy — a role at the intersection of faith, leadership, and global responsibility,” the Colorado representative said.

The measure would “[exempt] the individual from U.S. tax obligations while serving as pope,” Hurd’s website states.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on July 17.

The current pope, Leo XIV is thus far the only U.S.-born pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history.

Since Leo’s election on May 8, speculation has centered on what his role as pope means for his U.S. citizenship.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the bill on Thursday.

According to the IRS, U.S. citizens are “subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where they live or where they earn their income.” Citizens living abroad also have the same filing requirements as those living in the U.S. itself.

Paul Hunker, an American immigration attorney and a Catholic, told CNA in May that U.S. federal law spells out the conditions under which a U.S. citizen can lose his or her citizenship.

Such conditions include committing an act of treason, obtaining naturalization in a foreign state, and accepting a position as a foreign head of state, though those actions must be done by a person voluntarily and with the intention of relinquishing his or her U.S. nationality.

The U.S. State Department says it generally presumes that U.S. citizens, even if they accept a foreign government post, want to keep their citizenship unless “clearly and credibly” established otherwise.

Vatican law dictates that the Holy Father maintains “the fullness of the power of government, which includes the legislative, executive, and judicial powers” of the Vatican City State and the Holy See, the latter of which is the central governing authority of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV waves as the popemobile passes by a crowd of American pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s general audience on June 18, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

A new bill before Congress would “safeguard” the domestic citizenship of any American who is elected pope of the Catholic Church, including exempting him from paying taxes to the IRS.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado, proposed the bill, saying it “ensures that any American who answers the call to lead more than a billion Catholics worldwide can do so without risking his citizenship or facing unnecessary tax burdens.”

While the text of the bill is not yet available, Hurd said in a statement on his congressional website the bill is meant “to protect the citizenship of, and provide tax-exempt status to, any American elected as the supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.”

“This legislation recognizes the extraordinary nature of the papacy — a role at the intersection of faith, leadership, and global responsibility,” the Colorado representative said.

The measure would “[exempt] the individual from U.S. tax obligations while serving as pope,” Hurd’s website states.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on July 17.

The current pope, Leo XIV is thus far the only U.S.-born pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history.

Since Leo’s election on May 8, speculation has centered on what his role as pope means for his U.S. citizenship.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the bill on Thursday.

According to the IRS, U.S. citizens are “subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where they live or where they earn their income.” Citizens living abroad also have the same filing requirements as those living in the U.S. itself.

Paul Hunker, an American immigration attorney and a Catholic, told CNA in May that U.S. federal law spells out the conditions under which a U.S. citizen can lose his or her citizenship.

Such conditions include committing an act of treason, obtaining naturalization in a foreign state, and accepting a position as a foreign head of state, though those actions must be done by a person voluntarily and with the intention of relinquishing his or her U.S. nationality.

The U.S. State Department says it generally presumes that U.S. citizens, even if they accept a foreign government post, want to keep their citizenship unless “clearly and credibly” established otherwise.

Vatican law dictates that the Holy Father maintains “the fullness of the power of government, which includes the legislative, executive, and judicial powers” of the Vatican City State and the Holy See, the latter of which is the central governing authority of the Church.

“All priestly formation, particularly that of future priests, is at the heart of evangelization. They, responding to a genuine specific vocation, will inspire and lead the holy people of God, so that it may be in Christ as a sacrament, a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the […]

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The “Alta Sartoria” Dolce & Gabbana fashion show took place July 15, 2025, on the pedestrian-only Sant’Angelo Bridge, found directly in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, an ancient mausoleum later used as a papal fortress. / Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

Rome Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

The Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana put a spotlight on a new design collection inspired by Catholic liturgical garb in a show on the Sant’Angelo Bridge in Rome last week, prompting a discussion about whether it is appropriate to use Catholic imagery for secular purposes.

The luxury brand called the fashion show, part of three days of showcases in the Eternal City, “an homage to clerical tailoring” with creations inspired by priests’ vestments and other ecclesiastical clothing, including “capes, trains, chasubles, dalmatics, soles, bodices, and bibs.”

Images from the July 15 catwalk depict designs with clear ties to traditional Catholic liturgical clothing, including white, lace shirts similar to a priest’s chasuble or the surplice worn by altar servers. While many of the 106 designs were all white or all black, some feature green, red, and purple — colors used by the Church to denote different liturgical seasons.

Dolce & Gabbana declined to give CNA permission to use images from the event, but the designs can be viewed at its website or on YouTube.

Crosses were heavily featured in the collection, and some models wore or carried what appeared to be Catholic objects such as rosaries, thuribles, and metal incense burners used at Mass and other liturgical celebrations.

The runway, lined with movie extras dressed as cardinals, also showcased less clerical- or papal-looking outfits, with white bodices made to look like marble sculptures of St. Peter and St. Paul, inspired by religious art.

“Every creation strikes a perfect balance between solemnity, devotion, discipline, and aesthetic as well as iconographic codes,” according to information from the fashion brand.

Theology student Nicola Camporiondo was not a fan of the fashion show, which he commented on in an Instagram story for his 12,800 followers.

The 19-year-old from Vicenza in northern Italy told CNA he thought Dolce & Gabbana’s use of ecclesiastical style was a “usurpation” of a spiritual and liturgical heritage for the purpose of entertainment and “a mere commodification of the sacred.”

“After the sacred has always been a monopoly of the religious, now fashion agencies are using it for their own worldly and profane purposes,” he said.

Camporiondo, who also shares Catholic content on TikTok, where he has 160,000 followers, said he hopes the show can prompt a reflection for the Church about how people still find traditional Catholic aesthetics fascinating, even while the number of practicing Catholics in countries such as Italy declines.

For Father Alberto Ravagnani, a 31-year-old priest of the Archdiocese of Milan, the Dolce & Gabbana show also prompted a reflection on the Church’s tradition of beautiful art and vestments, but he told CNA he was “very much in favor, I really liked it, because I actually believe it’s a way they’ve given value to tradition.”

The “Alta Sartoria” show took place on the pedestrian-only Sant’Angelo Bridge, found directly in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, an ancient mausoleum later used as a papal fortress. The monument is connected to the Vatican by a 2,600-foot-long raised corridor. Part of the Dolce & Gabbana show took place with St. Peter’s Basilica in the distant background.

The approximately 40-minute, invitation-only fashion show opened with what appeared to be an enactment of a religious procession, including men dressed like altar boys and carrying candles, incense, and small canopies often used for Eucharistic processions. 

While Ravagnani had not seen footage of that part of the event, he thought if a fashion house could help restore “luster, value, meaning, and allure” to a religious practice in decline — even if only for a moment and in a secular context — it might not be a bad thing.

The young priest, who is one of the most followed Catholic “influencers” in Italy, also asked his 250,000 followers on Instagram to share their thoughts about the Catholic-inspired Dolce & Gabbana show.

He said the vast majority of those who responded were against it. Some considered it an outrage to tradition or even blasphemous, while others associated it “with ostentation and wealth” rather than an image of the Church as poor, humble, and simple — but he disagreed.

“Indeed, when it is said that the Church today should be simple and humble, this is true, but it doesn’t mean it should be sloppy or ugly,” he said. “God gave us art, God gave us hands, God gave us intelligence and the ability to create things. And so this ability of men to create beautiful things is a way to collaborate in God’s work.”

Father Alberto Rocca, a priest of Milan who has collaborated with Dolce & Gabbana and was in attendance at the July 15 show in Rome, told CNA the designers’ use of Catholic symbols “pays homage to [the Catholic] tradition.”

“It would be very reductive to see it only as fashion and not as art,” he added, highlighting the craftsmanship of the brand’s clothing as a skill that has otherwise been all but lost from Italian culture.

As director of the Ambrosian Pinacoteca, a Milan art gallery, Rocca was an adviser for a Dolce & Gabbana exhibit with clothing pieces inspired by some of the museum’s paintings. He is also a member of an expert committee for the Venerable Ambrosian Library, which preserves cultural and religious patrimony.

The priest said designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana “have always used certain [religious symbols] because they are part of the Italian context and they are Catholics.”

Dolce & Gabbana declined a request from CNA to comment.

In addition to the show on Sant’Angelo Bridge, the three-day Roma 2025 haute couture event also planned to debut a Dolce & Gabbana jewelry collection in a July 13 show at Villa Adriana, a park at the site of a classical building complex in Tivoli, 18 miles east of downtown Rome, before being rained out.

On July 14, the Roman Forum, with extras dressed as Roman soldiers, was the venue for the unveiling of styles inspired by mythology, Ancient Rome, and Italian 1950s cinema.

The fashion event took place during the run of a Dolce & Gabbana art exhibition, “From the Heart to the Hands,” at the Palazzo Esposizioni in Rome, May 14 to Aug. 13.

The exhibit of one-of-a-kind creations, first mounted in Milan and Paris, features some of the brand’s most admired pieces from designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who founded the fashion house in 1985.

The “Alta Sartoria” Dolce & Gabbana fashion show took place July 15, 2025, on the pedestrian-only Sant’Angelo Bridge, found directly in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, an ancient mausoleum later used as a papal fortress. / Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

Rome Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

The Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana put a spotlight on a new design collection inspired by Catholic liturgical garb in a show on the Sant’Angelo Bridge in Rome last week.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states within the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2017. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Bangalore, India, Jul 24, 2025 / 11:35 am (CNA).

Christians in India recently urged the Vatican to respond forcefully to rising violence in the country amid a state visit by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states.

The Vatican said the prelate was visiting the country from July 13–19 to “strengthen bonds of friendship and collaboration.” Besides meeting church officials, Gallagher had an official meeting with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, on July 17 in New Delhi.

Describing the meeting as a “good conversation,” Jaishankar said in a post on X that the leaders discussed “the importance of faith and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts.”

On the same day, a memorandum drafted by the United Christian Forum was presented to Gallagher, one that documented a steady rise in anti-Christian violence under the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has headed the pro-Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for 11 years.

The Christian group appealed for “urgent intervention” by the Vatican to the rising incidents of violence and harassment targeting Christians across the country. 

The appeal said that 834 cases of violence and hostility against Christians were reported in India in 2024, up from 734 in 2023 and from 127 in 2014, when Modi took office. 

Though the Vatican envoy visited the Jesuit Vidyajyoti seminary in New Delhi, saying Mass and interacting with the theology students on matters of formation, dialogue, and other concerns, principal Father Rajkumar Joseph declined to provide details of the meetings, telling CNA that it was a “private visit.”

“Perhaps the all-round silence suits the government,” vocal lay Catholic leader John Dayal, based in New Delhi, told CNA on July 22.

Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash expressed disappointment over what he called the “Vatican tokenism,” arguing that atrocities against Christians should have been brought up in the discussion with the government.

The United Christian Forum memorandum cites allegations of “fraudulent conversion” as a primary reason for the rising violence against Christians, including the detention of hundreds.

The highest number of incidents in 2024, the group said, was reported from northern Uttar Pradesh (209), followed by Chhattisgarh (165) — both states ruled by the Hindu nationalist BJP. 

Odisha state, which has been under BJP rule for a year, has also recently seen violence against Christians.

Dead bodies of Christians have been dug up for “reconversion ceremonies” and Christians have been prevented from burying their dead in tribal areas of Odisha. Meanwhile, two senior priests in the Sambalpur Diocese — including one in his 90s — were recently brutally attacked, tied up, and threatened with death if they returned for missionary work there.

Following a June 21 attack that injured 31 Christians of Kotamateru village in the Malkangiri district, with dozens of Christians also expelled from the village, the state witnessed a series of protests by Christians urging the government to act against the Hindu fundamentalists.

Blessed Carlo Acutis (left) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi/Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican City, Jul 24, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Thousands of young people are heading to the Eternal City next week for the Jubilee of Youth, where they will have the opportunity to pray with the incorrupt body of Pier Giorgio Frassati and a first-class relic of Carlo Acutis’ heart.  

From July 28 to Aug. 3, Rome will be buzzing with musical performances, prayer vigils, and special events for young pilgrims from across the globe. One of the highlights will be the opportunity to venerate the relics of these two holy young men who are set to be canonized together by Pope Leo XIV in September.

The veneration of relics — physical objects associated with saints or Christ himself — has been part of Christian practice since the earliest days of Christianity, during the Apostolic age. First-class relics, such as bones or pieces of a saint’s body, are venerated as a tangible link to the saints who intercede from heaven.

Frassati festivities 

Frassati’s incorrupt body will be available for public veneration beginning July 26 at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, located near the Pantheon, starting on July 26. His tomb will be open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the morning of Aug. 4.

Youth volunteers from the JP2 Project, a U.S.-based Catholic nonprofit, will be on hand to accompany pilgrims in prayer at the basilica, where several Masses are scheduled. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney will celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. on Aug. 4.

A separate event, “Night of Adoration with Pier Giorgio Frassati,” will take place from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on July 31 and Aug. 1 at the Church of Piazza Farnese.

Organized by the JP2 Project, the evening adoration aims to foster reflection on Frassati’s spiritual legacy. His remains will be returned to his hometown of Turin, Italy, on Aug. 5.

The Carlo Acutis Center 

A few blocks away, the Church of San Marcello al Corso will host the “Blessed Carlo Acutis Center.” Acutis, a 15-year-old computer coder who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his efforts to catalog Eucharistic miracles. 

A first-class relic of Acutis’ heart will be available for veneration at the church, where visitors may also submit prayer intentions to be brought to his tomb in Assisi. The center opens at 10 a.m. on July 29 and closes at 9:30 p.m. on July 31. Daily Eucharistic adoration with the relic is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Evening events at the church on July 30 and 31 will include music, testimonies, and prayer. On July 29 at 11 a.m., young artist Johnny Vrba will present his 1,000-piece mosaic portrait of Acutis. An exhibit on Eucharistic miracles created by Acutis before his death will also be on display.

In addition to Acutis and Frassati, the jubilee will highlight other young people recognized for their sanctity.

On July 30, Jesus Youth International will host the Blessed Ivan Merz Center at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, featuring relic veneration, confession, youth talks, and an evening of Eucharistic adoration.

Merz, a Croatian intellectual and former soldier who promoted Catholic youth movements, died in 1928 at the age of 31. Also on July 30, the Basilica di San Crisogono in Trastevere will host a talk at 11:20 a.m. on Merz’s life.

At the Centro San Lorenzo, a youth center near St. Peter’s Basilica, pilgrims can learn about the Pier Giorgio Homeless Ministry and attend a gathering with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, the religious community of Sister Clare Crockett — a young Irish nun whose cause for canonization is underway.

That event, featuring prayer, adoration, and fellowship, will take place Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

The jubilee will also feature a self-guided “Young Saints Walk,” encouraging pilgrims to visit churches throughout Rome that house the relics of young saints.

Stops include St. Agnes, martyred at age 12; St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died while caring for plague victims at 23; as well as St. Philip Neri and St. John Paul II, both remembered for their commitment to youth. The full walking route is available through the EWTN Travel app.

Blessed Carlo Acutis (left) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi/Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican City, Jul 24, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Thousands of young people are heading to the Eternal City next week for the Jubilee of Youth, where they will have the opportunity to pray with the incorrupt body of Pier Giorgio Frassati and a first-class relic of Carlo Acutis’ heart.  

From July 28 to Aug. 3, Rome will be buzzing with musical performances, prayer vigils, and special events for young pilgrims from across the globe. One of the highlights will be the opportunity to venerate the relics of these two holy young men who are set to be canonized together by Pope Leo XIV in September.

The veneration of relics — physical objects associated with saints or Christ himself — has been part of Christian practice since the earliest days of Christianity, during the Apostolic age. First-class relics, such as bones or pieces of a saint’s body, are venerated as a tangible link to the saints who intercede from heaven.

Frassati festivities 

Frassati’s incorrupt body will be available for public veneration beginning July 26 at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, located near the Pantheon, starting on July 26. His tomb will be open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the morning of Aug. 4.

Youth volunteers from the JP2 Project, a U.S.-based Catholic nonprofit, will be on hand to accompany pilgrims in prayer at the basilica, where several Masses are scheduled. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney will celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. on Aug. 4.

A separate event, “Night of Adoration with Pier Giorgio Frassati,” will take place from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on July 31 and Aug. 1 at the Church of Piazza Farnese.

Organized by the JP2 Project, the evening adoration aims to foster reflection on Frassati’s spiritual legacy. His remains will be returned to his hometown of Turin, Italy, on Aug. 5.

The Carlo Acutis Center 

A few blocks away, the Church of San Marcello al Corso will host the “Blessed Carlo Acutis Center.” Acutis, a 15-year-old computer coder who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his efforts to catalog Eucharistic miracles. 

A first-class relic of Acutis’ heart will be available for veneration at the church, where visitors may also submit prayer intentions to be brought to his tomb in Assisi. The center opens at 10 a.m. on July 29 and closes at 9:30 p.m. on July 31. Daily Eucharistic adoration with the relic is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Evening events at the church on July 30 and 31 will include music, testimonies, and prayer. On July 29 at 11 a.m., young artist Johnny Vrba will present his 1,000-piece mosaic portrait of Acutis. An exhibit on Eucharistic miracles created by Acutis before his death will also be on display.

In addition to Acutis and Frassati, the jubilee will highlight other young people recognized for their sanctity.

On July 30, Jesus Youth International will host the Blessed Ivan Merz Center at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, featuring relic veneration, confession, youth talks, and an evening of Eucharistic adoration.

Merz, a Croatian intellectual and former soldier who promoted Catholic youth movements, died in 1928 at the age of 31. Also on July 30, the Basilica di San Crisogono in Trastevere will host a talk at 11:20 a.m. on Merz’s life.

At the Centro San Lorenzo, a youth center near St. Peter’s Basilica, pilgrims can learn about the Pier Giorgio Homeless Ministry and attend a gathering with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, the religious community of Sister Clare Crockett — a young Irish nun whose cause for canonization is underway.

That event, featuring prayer, adoration, and fellowship, will take place Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

The jubilee will also feature a self-guided “Young Saints Walk,” encouraging pilgrims to visit churches throughout Rome that house the relics of young saints.

Stops include St. Agnes, martyred at age 12; St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died while caring for plague victims at 23; as well as St. Philip Neri and St. John Paul II, both remembered for their commitment to youth. The full walking route is available through the EWTN Travel app.