Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager, is set to become the first millennial saint. The Vatican announced on Thursday that Pope Francis has recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis, paving the way for his canonization. Acutis, who passed away at 15 from leukemia on October 12, 2006, is often referred to as “God’s Influencer.”
Who Is Carlo Acutis?
Born in London on May 3, 1991, Carlo Acutis was a computer prodigy and an avid gamer. According to carlosacutis.com, in addition to his roles as a student and son, he used his technological skills to spread the Catholic faith online. Carlo’s journey toward sainthood began when Pope Francis recognized a miracle attributed to him, leading to his beatification in 2020 in Assisi, where his remains are enshrined. The recognition of a second miracle has now moved him closer to canonization.
The First Miracle
In 2020, Carlo Acutis was beatified following the attribution of his first miracle, where he reportedly healed a Brazilian child suffering from a congenital pancreatic disease. His mother, Antonia Acutis, shared with The New York Times that Carlo began attending daily mass at age seven, which reignited her own faith. She also mentioned that many people claimed to have experienced medical miracles after praying to Carlo. “Carlo was the light answer to the dark side of the web,” she said, dubbing him the “influencer for God.”
The Second Miracle
The second miracle, which secured Carlo’s sainthood, involved aiding a university student with severe head trauma. According to Vatican News, a Costa Rican woman named Liliana prayed to Blessed Carlo for her daughter Valeria, who had suffered a severe head injury. Valeria’s doctors had given her a low chance of survival. After Liliana visited Carlo’s shrine and prayed, her daughter began to show signs of recovery. Valeria started breathing on her own, moving, and eventually regaining her speech. A CT scan revealed that her brain hemorrhage had disappeared ten days after her mother’s pilgrimage. Valeria was then moved to a rehabilitation center.
A date for Carlo’s canonization ceremony has not yet been set. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and author of ‘A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American,’ believes Carlo’s example will help bridge the gap between the Church and young Catholics.