Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager credited with spreading the gospel online before his death in 2006, will be canonised by Pope Francis. The act will make Acutis the first millennial – that is, an individual born between 1981s and 1996 – to be declared a saint.
According to multiple media reports, Acutis was made eligible for canonisation after Pope Francis recognised a second miracle as having been performed by the deeply religious boy, who passed away from leukaemia aged just 15.
The miracles involve a Brazilian child who was suffering from a pancreatic disease but cured upon coming into contact with one of Acutis’ garments. The second involved a student left in a critical condition after a cycling accident in Florence, who recovered miraculously when her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb.
Born in London in 1991 to parents of Italian ancestry, Acutis spent most of his life in Milan, Italy.
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He has been variously described as the “God’s influencer” and “the cyber apostle of the Eucharist” due to his piety and mastery of coding from a young age. He was responsible for creating a website that documented miracles from a host of countries and also built websites on behalf of Catholic organisations.
Since his death, the teenager’s following has grown significantly. In an interview with the Times, Salazano’s mother recalled that her son regularly gave his pocket money to the poor and took meals to rough sleepers.
He “was a computer genius and would play on his PlayStation and Game Boy,” she said. “To have a saint that played with the same things as you do is something that really touches these young people,” she added.
No dates have been given as to when Acutis will be made a saint. Pope Francis has currently canonised 912 individuals, with the youngest being a person who was born in 1926.
Correction appended 28 May: This story has been updated with the correct year of Carlo Acutis’ passing.
