Leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has officially declared Carlo Acutis a saint, marking the first time the Church has canonized someone from the millennial generation.
The ceremony took place yesterday in St. Peter’s Square, drawing an estimated crowd of 80,000 people, many of them young families and students.
Carlo Acutis, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 15, was known for combining his deep Catholic faith with a passion for technology. Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, he lived an ordinary life filled with school, soccer, and time with family. But those who knew him recall his consistent dedication to helping others, attending Mass regularly, and spending long hours in prayer before the Eucharist.
Acutis used his computer skills to create an online collection of Eucharistic miracles. The project, available in nearly 20 languages, remains widely accessed today. He also managed a website for his parish and collaborated with a Vatican-affiliated academy to promote religious education online.
He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in October 2006 and died within days. His remains are displayed in Assisi, a town already closely associated with the life of St. Francis. Since his death, Acutis has grown in popularity among Catholic youth, many of whom see him as a relatable example of how to live a faith-centered life in the modern world.
Carlo’s canonization follows the recognition of two miracles attributed to him. The first involved the unexplained recovery of a Brazilian child suffering from a congenital illness.
The second concerned a university student in Florence who survived a serious brain injury after a bicycle accident. These events were reviewed and approved by Church authorities before being confirmed by the Pope.
The canonization was delayed earlier this year due to the death of Pope Francis, who had overseen most of the process leading up to the final decision. Pope Leo XIV, who succeeded Francis, held the ceremony on what turned out to be his first canonization as pope.
Alongside Acutis, Pier Giorgio Frassati was also declared a saint. Frassati, who lived in the early 20th century, died of polio at age 24. He was known for his quiet dedication to helping the poor and encouraging his peers to live out their faith through acts of service.
The Vatican said that hundreds of clergy members, including 36 cardinals and more than 270 bishops, participated in the canonization Mass.
For Pope Leo XIV used the opportunity to speak to younger Catholics. During his homily, he reminded listeners not to waste their lives but instead to live with purpose.
He described Acutis and Frassati as people who had turned ordinary lives into something meaningful by choosing to follow their faith with consistency and conviction.
