Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager just took his next step in becoming the Catholic church’s first “millennial” saint.
Last week, in a meeting with Cardinal Marcello Semararo, the Pope signed decrees advancing the sainthood of Acutis among several other individuals.
Vatican Decree
On May 23, the Vatican announced the signing of the decrees by Pope Francis that would set the dates for a consistory, or council of cardinals, that would convene to decide the canonization of Acutis and other future saints.
Besides Acutis, six men are up for consideration for sainthood, along with one woman.
Millennial Saint
Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 and died in 2006, making him 15 years old at the time of his death and of the millennial generation.
In the Catholic church, a person can only be granted sainthood status after their death. Saints must meet several requirements, including strict adherence to church teachings in life, and be found after an investigation to be virtuous overall.
Acutis’ Life
Acutis was baptized in London as a baby by his Italian parents in 1991, but the family moved back to Milan, Italy shortly after this.
In high school, Acutis developed proficiency with the computer and created an online database of Eucharistic miracles that documented examples of miracles from around the world.
Faithful Works
According to a website dedicated to his canonization, Acutis performed many acts of charity and kindness. These included helping the homeless and poor, assisting children with homework, and volunteering at a church soup kitchen.
“To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan,” Acutis wrote at 7 years old.
Devotion to Religion
Acutis was a devoted Catholic who prayed the rosary every day, devoted to his faith and the Eucharist.
“The Eucharist is the highway to heaven,” Acutis wrote. When people sit in the sun, they become tan, “but when they sit before Eucharistic Jesus, they become saints.”
Tragic Death
When Acutis was only 15 years old he contracted a fast-progressing form of leukemia, which ultimately caused his death on October 12, 2006. However, he remained faithful in the end despite his circumstances.
“I’m happy to die because I’ve lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn’t have pleased God,” Acutis said.
Miracle Recognition
In the time since Acutis’ death, Pope Francis has recognized and attributed miracles to him. After the first formal miracle was recognized in 2020, Acutis was beatified at a Mass and it is estimated over 100,000 people came to see this tomb in the year following his beatification.
Francis recognized a new miracle on May 23 this year that put Acutis at the required miracle threshold for canonization. Saints are canonized if they have two, three, or four miracles depending on the circumstance.
First Miracle
The miracle recognized by Pope Francis in 2020, involved the unexplained recovery of a young boy in Brazil in 2013.
“On October 12, 2013, seven years after Carlo’s death, a child, affected by a congenital malformation (annular pancreas), when it was his turn to touch the picture of the future blessed, expressed a singular wish, like a prayer: ‘I wish I could stop vomiting so much.’ Healing began immediately, to the point that the physiology of the organ in question changed,” said Friar Nicola Gori.
Latest Recognized Miracle
The recently recognized miracle involved a woman in Florence who fell off her bicycle in 2022 and suffered a head injury.
Doctors warned that she could die at any moment, but after an associate of the woman’s mother began praying to Acutis, the woman eventually made a complete recovery. The woman’s mother also went to Acutis’ tomb to pray, and after her recovery, the woman and her mother visited the tomb together.
Pope’s Words
The Pope had previously praised Acutis, who he says managed to do “a great deal of good things” even though his life was short.
“Above all, he was impassioned by Jesus; and since he was very good at getting around on the internet, he used it in the service of the Gospel, spreading love for prayer, the witness of faith and charity toward others,” said Pope Francis.
Canonization Process
Now that the Pope has recognized another miracle and attributed it to Acutis he can move beyond the beautification stage in the process and into official canonization.
It is only after the canonization step that Acutis can be publicly venerated as a Saint of the Catholic Church. Before being canonized, saint candidates are considered to have the title of “blessed.”
