, ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁the ▁investigation ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁a ▁close . ▁The ▁timing ▁of ▁the ▁closure ▁may ▁have ▁anticip ated ▁a ▁visit ▁by ▁Francis ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁May , ▁Francis ▁carried ▁out ▁his ▁first ▁canon izations ▁of ▁candidates ▁approved ▁for ▁sain th ood ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Bened ict ▁XVI : ▁the ▁first ▁Colomb ian ▁saint , ▁Laura ▁of ▁Saint ▁Catherine ▁of ▁S ien a , ▁the ▁second ▁female ▁Mexican ▁saint , ▁Maria ▁Gu ad alu pe ▁Gar cia ▁Z av ala , ▁both ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁ 8 1 3 ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁Mart y rs ▁of ▁O tr anto . ▁He ▁said : ▁" Wh ile ▁we ▁v ener ate ▁the ▁mart y rs ▁of ▁O tr anto , ▁ask ▁God ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁many ▁Christians ▁who ▁still ▁suffer ▁from ▁violence ▁and ▁give ▁them ▁the ▁courage ▁and ▁fate ▁and ▁respond ▁to ▁evil ▁with ▁good ness ." ▁He ▁also ▁commented ▁on ▁abort ion , ▁saying ▁legisl ation ▁should ▁be ▁introduced ▁to ▁" prote ct ▁all ▁human ▁be ings ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁moment ▁of ▁their ▁existence ." ▁ ▁Syn od al ▁church ▁▁ ▁Francis ▁has ▁over seen ▁syn ods ▁on ▁the ▁family ▁( 2 0 1 4 ), ▁on ▁youth ▁( 2 0 1 8 ), ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Church ▁in ▁the ▁Amazon ▁region ▁( 2 0 1 9 ). ▁In ▁