Pope Francis announced on Wednesday that Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who designed websites for the Catholic Church, will become the first millennial saint.
Acutis, born in 1991 and who passed away from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, will be canonized in April next year, during a church event for young people, the pope confirmed during his weekly audience at the Vatican.
Acutis was beatified in 2020 after a miracle was officially attributed to him, and a second miracle was recognized earlier this year. Known as “God’s influencer,” he was a devout Catholic who used his coding skills to create a website documenting Catholic miracles and apparitions. His preserved body, dressed in jeans and Nike sneakers, is displayed in a tomb in Assisi, Italy, where it draws thousands of pilgrims annually.
Pope Francis revealed that the canonization will take place during the weekend of April 25-27, coinciding with the Church’s event for children and adolescents. Acutis rapid progression toward sainthood is notable, as the process typically takes decades, and reflects a broader trend in the Church’s efforts to engage younger generations, especially as membership declines in the U.S. and other regions.
