Carlo Acutis: ‘God’s Influencer’ Set to Make History as First Millennial Saint

Historic Canonisation Announcement

The Vatican has announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonised alongside Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati on September 7, in a ceremony that has been greatly anticipated due to the widespread devotion among the faithful.

A Modern Saint for the Digital Age

Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Born in 1991, he holds the distinction of being the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church.

A self-taught programmer from an early age, Acutis created websites with a spiritual focus, including his most significant achievement: cataloging more than 150 Eucharistic miracles in over a dozen languages. This website became a valuable tool for religious instruction by parishes worldwide, demonstrating how modern technology could be used for spiritual good.

The Path to Sainthood

The final step toward canonisation was approved following the miraculous healing of a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman named Valeria Valverde, who was near death after a serious bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022.

According to his mother, Antonia Salzano, Carlo was like any other teenager who enjoyed playing video games and soccer. However, he had expressed interest in becoming a priest and, after his First Communion at age 7, attended daily Mass regularly and taught catechism in a local parish.

Global Impact and Legacy

Since his beatification, Catholic schools from the Australian outback to England have been named after Acutis, along with numerous ministries and parish initiatives. His canonisation represents a crucial step in the Church’s decades-long effort to attract people to the Catholic faith through young, holy patrons. According to Leticia Arráez, a communications researcher at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, this canonisation confirms that holiness is not an abstract ideal but can manifest itself in contemporary ways, close to the sensibilities of young people.