Pope Francis has paved the way for an Italian teenager to become the first millennial saint, attributing a second miracle to him. The Vatican announced Thursday.
The teenager, Carlo Acutis, was often called the patron saint of the Internet by Roman Catholics because he was skilled with computers and used those skills to spread his faith. He died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15.
Carlo was born in London to Italian parents and moved to Milan with his family when he was a child. His mother, Antonia Acutis, told Carlo that his passion for Catholicism began to develop at an early age. In an interview with The New York Times in 2020At age 7, he began attending Mass every day. His faith inspired his mother to rejoin the Church, she said.
She said he was called to serve, to find ways to help those less fortunate and to donate to homeless people. In the months before his death, Carlo used his self-taught digital skills to create a website He also likes to play football and video games.
After her son’s death, Ms. Acutis told The New York Times that people from around the world had told her about medical miracles, including cures for infertility and cancer, that occurred after they prayed for her son.
“Carlo is a bright response to the dark side of the internet,” his mother said, adding that some admirers called him a “God influencer”.
Ms. Acutis added that Carlo’s life “can be used to show how the Internet can be used to do good and spread good.”
Carlo’s journey to canonization began in 2020 when the Diocese of Assisi, where his family owns property, petitioned the Vatican to make out Treat him as a saint.
In February 2020, Pope Francis credited the recovery of a boy with a pancreatic malformation to To Carlo Carlo was the first to be “Blessed” Passing through the church is a step towards sainthood.
The final step is for the Pope to approve the second miracle.
According to the Vatican, The second miracle was the recovery of a Costa Rican university student who suffered severe head injuries after falling off her bicycle in Florence. The woman needed major brain surgery and doctors warned that her chances of survival were low. The woman’s mother traveled to Assisi to pray for her daughter at the tomb of Carlo the Apostle and asked for his intercession.
The Vatican said the young woman’s breathing, mobility and speech soon began to improve. Ten days after her mother visited Carlo’s tomb, a CT scan showed that the bleeding in her brain had disappeared, and she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
The pope said Thursday he would convene a conclave of cardinals to discuss Carlo’s canonization. The Vatican has not announced a date for the official canonization ceremony.
Carlo’s path to becoming the first millennial saint is a milestone, said Notre Dame history professor and author ofOur own saint: How a hero seeking holiness is helping Catholics become Americans. She said Carlo’s use of the Internet and his computer skills to spread his faith offers the Catholic Church an opportunity to present a more positive picture on social media. She said canonizing Carlo might also help the church connect with younger Catholics, many of whom have become increasingly disconnected from society.
“It’s an example for people like them that hopefully will draw them back into the church,” Professor Cummings said.
