“The one who spreads the rosary is Saint!”

 “The Holy Father, whom we entrust to the loving care of Our Lady of the Rosary, has listened to the People of God: the Founder of the Sanctuary will be a saint!” (H.E. Mons. Caputo, February 25, 2025).

In an interview with La Croce di Gerusalemme, 74-year-old Archbishop Prelate of Pompeii, H.E. Mons. Tommaso Caputo, Assessor of the Order commented, “From the 'pulpit' in the Gemelli Hospital, the Pope continues to show us his love, offering the Church a beautiful model of holiness”. Mons. Caputo acknowledged the Pope in this way upon hearing the news of the imminent canonization of Bartolo Longo, the founder of the famous Marian Sanctuary located near the ruins of the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius.

On Tuesday, February 25, from the Gemelli Polyclinic -where the Holy Father has been hospitalized for about ten days- the Pope authorized the Decree of Canonization for the Knight of the Holy Sepulcher without attributing a miracle to him. Cardinal Filoni, Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, of which Bartolo Longo was a member, emphasized, “The miracle of spiritual and moral conversions that constantly take place in Pompeii, the unceasing stream of prayer from pilgrims, and the number of social works surrounding the Sanctuary of Pompeii testify to a permanent miracle!”

Thus, “the Founder of the Sanctuary will be a Saint!” joyfully declared Monsignor Caputo on the day the news was announced, stating that “the Holy Father, whom we entrust to the loving care of Our Lady of the Rosary, has listened to the People of God.”

“Every word seems insufficient to express our deep emotion and gratitude to the Pope. In Pompeii, we love him in a special and profound way, and we pray for him, certain that Our Lady of the Rosary and Bartolo Longo, from Heaven, hear our plea and that the Holy Father will soon return to the daily life of the Petrine ministry”, he added, entrusting Pope Francis' ministry to the intercession of the future saint.

“The joy is ours, for we now have a new Saint—a figure to look up to and imitate so that we, too, may one day reach Paradise,” emphasized the Archbishop of Pompeii.

He went on to remind us that although Bartolo Longo’s earthly life ended in 1926, “he is a thoroughly modern Saint. He was ahead of his time, a model of that 'outgoing Church' which is central to Pope Francis' teaching. When we read his writings, we are astonished not only by the modernity of his language but even more by the relevance of his ideas. He had a prophetic vision, a deep understanding of humanity, and a clear awareness of future challenges. He worked, wrote, and spoke between the late 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century, yet he seems like a Saint of today,” reiterated the Archbishop-Prelate and Pontifical Delegate of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary.

“Let us celebrate, for the canonization of Blessed Bartolo Longo is a declaration of love that God makes to humanity,” he said enthusiastically, aware that the canonization will take place during the Jubilee of Hope, following the important Consistory of Cardinals that the Pope has convened to set the date for the event.

Monsignor Caputo then concluded, by stating, “In October 1872, when the Founder first arrived in what was then a 'desolate' valley, he felt an inner inspiration, saying, ‘If you seek salvation, spread the Rosary. This is Mary’s promise. Whoever spreads the Rosary will be saved!’ Today, we take the liberty of changing just one word in that historic phrase, which is akin to the foundation of our Sanctuary: “The one who spread the rosary is a Saint!”

(February 2025)