Millennial set to be the inaugural divine social media influencer, granted sainthood status
Italian Teenager Carlo Acutis to be Canonized as Saint
In a historic ceremony this Sunday, Pope Leo XIV will canonize Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager, in Vatican City. Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis will join the ranks of the Catholic Church's saints, following a life marked by faith and technological innovation.
A fan of computer games and self-taught basic coding, Acutis used his skills to document miracles and other elements of the Catholic faith online. His digital archive, known as the "Internet Chapel," has attracted millions of visitors since his death in 2006 at the age of 15.
The canonization ceremony will take place in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, with over 800 people traveling from Assisi to Rome on a special train for the occasion. This ceremony marks Pope Leo XIV's first since his election in May.
Pier Giorgio Frassati, another Italian who will be honoured during the same ceremony, lived a life of social and spiritual commitment. Frassati, who died in 1925, was known for his kindness towards bullied children and homeless people in Milan, as well as his service to the poor and sick of his city as an engineering student. His beatification was performed by John Paul II in 1990, and the Vatican recognized the necessary second miracle for his sainthood in 2024.
Frassati was also a mountaineering enthusiast, embodying the Catholic ideal of seeking God in all aspects of life. His body is currently housed in a glass-walled tomb in Assisi and is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Carlo Acutis's casket is inscribed with the words "Verso l'alto" ("To the heights"), a fitting tribute to his life and the path he followed towards sainthood. The Vatican has recognized Acutis as performing two miracles since his death, necessary steps on the path to sainthood.
The canonization ceremony falls during the Jubilee, a Catholic "Holy Year" that has already drawn over 24 million people to Rome, according to the Vatican. As the Church celebrates these two new saints, it continues to inspire millions around the world with stories of faith, kindness, and service.
