Pope Francis has stated his intention to canonise a teenager who was born in London, establishing a date for him to be recognised as the first millennial saint within the Catholic Church.
Carlo Acutis has been referred to as the “saint of the digital age” and “God’s influencer.”
He leveraged his expertise in computing to document and disseminate the teachings of Catholicism in the modern digital landscape—a strategy that resonated well with the church.
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Pope Francis. Pic: AP/Gregorio Borgia
Carlo Acutis will be the first millennial to be canonised
Carlo passed away from leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006.
He was beatified in 2020 after a Brazilian boy’s family claimed he was cured of a severe birth defect that had rendered him unable to retain food—following the family’s possession of a relic obtained from Carlo’s mother and their prayers to him.
Furthermore, Carlo is credited with a second miracle acknowledged by the church. In 2022, a girl from Costa Rica suffered a significant head injury after falling off a bicycle in Florence, Italy.
It is reported that she made a remarkable recovery against the odds after her mother prayed at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis validated this second miracle ascribed to Carlo, facilitating his path to sainthood.
The confirmation of this announcement was made during the Pope’s routine audience on Wednesday.
Carlo is set to be canonised during the Jubilee of Adolescents at the Vatican during the weekend of 25-27 April next year, as confirmed by church officials.
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Carlo was born to Italian parents in London.
He was a web designer and utilised his technical skills to develop a website that catalogued miracles, in addition to managing websites for several local Catholic organisations.
