Carlo Acutis: London-born teenager to become first Catholic millennial saint

Fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis will become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. Credit: AP.

A London-born teenager will become the Catholic Church's first millenial saint, after his cause for canonisation was approved by church authorities.

Carlo Acutis, who died from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, was renowned for using his computing skills to spread awareness of the Catholic faith and earned the nickname “God’s influencer”.

Being recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church can take decades, but the cause of Acutis has moved swiftly, with the teenager developing a devoted following across the world.

His story has been seen to better connect the Catholic Church with younger generations in a digital age.

The church's sainthood process usually requires two miracles attributed to the candidate.

Acutis was beatified and declared “blessed” in 2020 after his first miracle, when he reportedly healed a Brazilian boy who touched one of Acutis' T-shirts, before making a miraculous recovery from a rare pancreatic disorder.

The Pope later verified Acutis was the source of this miracle.

A procession walks through the streets of Assisi, Italy, prior to the beatification ceremony of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis. Credit: AP

The second miracle attributed to Acutis relates to the reported healing of a girl from Costa Rica who had suffered a head trauma after falling from her bicycle in Florence, Italy, where she was studying.

Her mother said she prayed for her daughter’s recovery at the tomb of Acutis in Assisi.

That left one final step, completed today, when the Vatican announced the pope had decreed the canonisation would go ahead, after cardinals, convened by the pope, voted in favour of Acutis' sainthood.

That canonisation ceremony, expected to take place in St Peter’s Square, in Vatican City, will be the moment where Acutis is formally declared a saint - meaning the Catholic Church across the world can name parishes and schools after the teenager, and will remember him annually on a “feast day”.

Acutis, who was born in London, in 1991 - putting him squarely in the millennial generation cohort - is remembered by friends and family as enjoying playing the saxophone, football and video games.

Young Carlo Acutis at a religious ceremony. Credit: Family handout

His mother, Antonia Salzano, described her son as a “sign of hope” who shows that holiness is possible today.

Ms Salzano added that from the age of nine, the youngster spent time helping the homeless in Milan and giving his pocket money to those sleeping on the streets.

She explained that he insisted on only having one pair of shoes, so he could save money to help the poor.

The date for Acutis' canonisation is yet to be set, but likely to occur during the Catholic Church's jubilee year celebrations in 2025.

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