Vatican Canonizes Carlo Acutis, ‘God’s Influencer,’ as First Millennial Saint

VATICAN CITY – In a historic ceremony on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV officially canonized Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer enthusiast, making him the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. Acutis, affectionately known as ‘God’s Influencer’ for his innovative use of technology to spread the faith, now serves as a modern role model for young Catholics worldwide.

The open-air Mass, held in St. Peter’s Square, drew an estimated 80,000 attendees, including many millennials and young families eager to witness the momentous occasion. This marked the first saint-making Mass of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, during which he also canonized Pier Giorgio Frassati, another revered Italian figure who passed away at a young age.

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV praised both Acutis and Frassati for transforming their lives into ‘masterpieces’ through their unwavering dedication to God. He urged the faithful, particularly the youth, not to ‘squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces,’ emphasizing that ‘the greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan.’

Born in London in 1991, Acutis moved to Milan shortly after. Despite his family’s moderate religious observance, he developed an intense devotion to his faith from a young age. A prodigious talent in computer science, Acutis created a multilingual website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, a remarkable feat for a teenager and the foundation of his ‘God’s Influencer’ moniker.

Acutis was renowned for his daily hours of Eucharistic adoration, a practice the Church actively promotes amid declining belief in Christ’s physical presence in the Eucharist. His disciplined approach to technology – limiting video games to an hour weekly – resonated strongly with the Catholic hierarchy, who see him as an antidote to the perils of today’s digital world.

Acutis tragically died in October 2006 at the age of 15 from acute leukemia. His tomb in Assisi, where he is displayed in jeans and sneakers, has become a pilgrimage site for millions of young Catholics, drawn by his relatability and the remarkable preservation of his body.

The canonization ceremonies, originally slated for earlier this year, were postponed after Pope Francis’ passing in April. Francis had been a staunch advocate for Acutis’ sainthood, believing in his power to draw young people to the faith. Eighth-grader Leo Kowalsky from a Chicago school attached to the Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish expressed his excitement, noting the serendipity of his namesake, Pope Leo, canonizing his school’s patron. ‘It’s kind of all mashed up into one thing, so it is a joy to be a part of,’ Kowalsky remarked last week.

Acutis’ burgeoning popularity stems from a deliberate Vatican effort to present a ‘saint next door’ – an ordinary millennial who achieved extraordinary spiritual feats. His tech-savvy yet devout persona resonates deeply with a generation born between 1981 and 1996. The ceremony itself underscored this widespread appeal, with 36 cardinals, 270 bishops, and hundreds of priests joining Pope Leo XIV in celebration.

The throngs of pilgrims, many young Italian millennials with their families, filling St. Peter’s Square hours before the Mass, highlighted Acutis’ immediate impact. Leopoldo Antimi, a 27-year-old Roman, remarked on Acutis’ influence: ‘For me personally as an Italian, even on social networks that are used so much, it is important to have him as an influencer.’ Matthew Schmalz, a professor of religious studies, observed that Acutis’ canonization extends popular piety into the digital age, establishing him as ‘a new saint of simplicity for the ever complex digital landscape of contemporary Catholicism’ and a model for disciplined digital engagement rooted in traditional spirituality.

Also canonized was Pier Giorgio Frassati, who lived from 1901-1925, dying at 24 from polio. Hailing from a prominent Turin family, Frassati was celebrated for his profound devotion to serving the poor and his charitable acts, embodying a spirit of faith shared generously with his friends.

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