Pope Francis will canonize Carlo Acutis, known as ‘God’s Influencer’ or ‘the patron saint of the internet’, on April 26, 2025. Carlo Acutis was a 15-year-old Italian boy who died of leukemia in 2006 and had two verified miracles attributed to his intercession, making him eligible for sainthood.
Carlo Acutis: The First Millennial Saint
Who was Carlo Acutis?
Carlo Acutis was born in London but spent most of his childhood in Italy, where he died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15.
The Path to Sainthood
Sainthood in the Catholic Church requires two verified miracles attributed to the candidate’s intercession. Carlo Acutis’ first miracle was recognized in 2020, involving the miraculous healing of a Brazilian child suffering from a congenital disease. The second miracle, confirmed this year, involved the healing of a university student in Florence who recovered from severe brain bleeding.
A Digital Evangelist
Carlo Acutis has been labelled “the patron saint of the internet” for his work recording miracles online and running websites for Catholic organisations. His story is seen as helpful for the Catholic Church as it seeks to connect better with younger generations in a digital age.
Beatification Ceremony
Cardinals and bishops attended the beatification ceremony of Carlo Acutis in 2020, where he was attributed his first miracle, the healing of a Brazilian child diagnosed with a congenital disease. His body is currently on display alongside other relics linked to him in the town of Assisi.
Sainthood in the Catholic Church
Sainthood in the Catholic Church requires two verified miracles attributed to the candidate’s intercession.
How is sainthood achieved?
A person becomes eligible for sainthood after they have two miracles attributed to them. A miracle is typically investigated and assessed over a period of several months, with the requirement being an act seen to be beyond what is possible in nature – such as through the sudden healing of a person deemed to be near-death.
Examples of miracles
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The first miracle attributed to Carlo Acutis was the healing of a Brazilian child suffering from a congenital disease in 2020.
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The second miracle attributed to him came in 2024, when a university student in Florence was healed despite having bleeding on the brain after suffering head trauma.
Beatification and Canonization
Beatification is the process by which a person is declared blessed. Carlo Acutis was previously beatified in 2020 for his first miracle. Canonization is the process by which a person is declared a saint. Pope Francis will canonize Carlo Acutis during a ceremony at the Vatican on 26 April 2025.
Significance of sainthood
Carlo Acutis’ story is seen as helpful for the Catholic Church as it seeks to connect better with younger generations in a digital age. His online skills and work recording miracles have earned him the nickname “God’s influencer” and “the patron saint of the internet”.
- bbc.com | Gods influencer to be made first millennial saint in April
- www.bbc.co.uk | Gods influencer to be made first millennial saint in April BBC News
- uk.news.yahoo.com | Gods influencer: First millennial to be made saint next year
- twitter.com | BBC News (UK) on X: Gods influencer to be made first millennial ...
