ROME — Carlo Acutis, a London-born teenager known for his love of computers and deep Catholic faith, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint, Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday.
The ceremony is set for 7 September in St Peter’s Square, just months after it was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis in April.
Carlo, who died of leukaemia at age 15 in 2006, has become something of a modern Catholic icon. He is widely admired for combining the ordinary life of a teenager with extraordinary spiritual devotion. His online catalogue of Eucharistic miracles and quiet acts of kindness have earned him the nickname “God’s influencer.”
“This is a sign of goodness in a world flooded with bad news,” said Rev Anthony Figueirido, who wrote a book about the teenager’s life. “He showed you could be normal and holy at the same time.”
From beatification to sainthood
Since his beatification in 2020 the step before sainthood Carlo’s tomb in Assisi has become a magnet for pilgrims, especially young people. Schools and churches across the globe have been named after him.
His canonisation marks a historic moment for the Church. Until now, no one from the so-called millennial generation has been elevated to sainthood. Traditionally, the process has taken centuries. For Carlo, it has taken just 19 years.
The original date, 27 April, was chosen to coincide with the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers, part of this year’s Holy Year celebrations drawing millions of pilgrims. It was delayed after Pope Francis died on 21 April.
A saint for the digital age
Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Carlo was known for his enthusiasm for computers and video games. But what set him apart, according to those who knew him, was his inner life one rooted in daily Mass, prayer, and charity.
“He was a boy full of life, with a passion for the good,” said Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi, who has championed Carlo’s cause for sainthood. “His message resonates with young people facing a future that isn’t always easy to navigate.”
Sharing the spotlight
Pope Leo also announced that Pier Giorgio Frassati, another young Catholic who died in 1925 at age 24, will be canonised alongside Carlo. Known for his love of the poor and adventurous spirit, Frassati has long been revered as a model of faith in action.
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, head of the Vatican’s department for saints, praised Frassati as “a wonderful example of Christian life.”
The dual canonisation ceremony will likely draw a vast crowd. The Vatican expects tens of thousands, including groups of teenagers, to gather in St Peter’s Square for the September event.
In a world where sainthood has often been associated with distant, ascetic lives, the rise of Carlo Acutis a teenager who loved coding and football offers a striking reminder: holiness, the Church seems to say, doesn’t have to be out of reach.
