Christianity Around The World
Pope Leo XIV: The World Is Poorer Without Saints
From Catholic News Agency · October 21, 2026
During a private audience at the Vatican on October 21, 2026, Pope Leo XIV met with participants of the “Holiness in History” conference. The conference, organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, took place from October 19–21 at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum center in Rome to explore how historical research influences the declaration of sainthood.
In his remarks, the Pope stated that the history of the world is inseparable from the history of the saints. He emphasized that recent causes for canonization must undergo serious and rigorous examination of all collected material using historical tools. He noted that while the goal of these studies is not to produce historiography, the aim is to highlight the spirituality and reputation for holiness of those proposed for sainthood.
Additionally, Leo XIV explained the necessity of placing saints within their specific historical contexts to avoid stereotypes and misunderstandings. He suggested that as time passes, the interpretation of a saint's profile should be grounded in the categories of the Gospel rather than modern stereotypes.
A Note From The Quantum Disciple: Part of this story does not align with what the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) teaches from Scripture. We encourage you to study these passages for yourself.
Canonization of Saints: The story centers on the Catholic Church's process of declaring and canonizing saints, a practice the LCMS does not confess. While Christians honor the faithfulness of those who have gone before us, Scripture teaches that we are to have one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, and that no human authority has the power to declare who is in heaven or to establish a hierarchy of holiness that implies a special intercessory role for the dead. Read Ephesians 4:5; 1 Timothy 2:5.
A factual summary prepared by The Quantum Disciple. The original report belongs to its publisher.