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Carlo Acutis Has Been Canonized
- Enzo Llanes
- Sep 7
- 2 min read
September 7, 2025—Blessed Carlo Acutis, along with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, have been canonized together by Pope Leo XIV at a solemn canonization mass in St. Peter’s Square, in the Vatican City. This event marks a milestone in Catholic history, as Carlo Acutis is now the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation—standing on the same level as saints like Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa.
St. Carlo Acutis, informally known as “God’s Influencer”, was just like any other teenager—who liked playing video games like Pokémon, hanging out with his friends, and playing soccer. In an interview with NBC News, his mother, Antonia Salzano, 58, said that “He was a normal kid, he was a normal person, but he opened the door of his heart to God”.
St. Carlo Acutis’ Road to Holiness
St. Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London, England. He died at age 15 on October 12, 2006, in Monza, Italy, due to acute promyelocytic leukemia. He was an aspirant in learning different coding languages and taught himself to build websites that spread his faith. One such website is an International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World: https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/
Two miracles were credited to St. Carlo Acutis. The first involved a 4-year-old Brazilian boy who was healed from a pancreatic birth defect after his mother prayed to St. Carlo in 2013, and the child then experienced an unanticipated complete recovery. The miracle was recognized by Pope Francis in 2020.
The second involved a child in Costa Rica who experienced severe head trauma after a bicycle accident in 2022, and was deemed unlikely to survive by doctors. Her mother held a pilgrimage to Carlo’s tomb, and left a note. Miraculously, the child began to breathe spontaneously on the same day. The following day, she was able to move and regained some of her ability to speak. In ten days, a CAT scan revealed that her hemorrhage had disappeared.
Carlo was first named “venerable” in 2018 after the Church recognized his virtuous life. His body was then taken to a shrine in the Santuario della Spogliazione in the small town of Assisi in central Italy.
Pope Francis beatified him on October 10, 2020 in Assisi, where Carlo’s mortal remains rest. He was initially set to be canonized on April 27, 2025—but was delayed due to Pope Francis’ unexpected death on April 21, 2025.
On June 13, 2025, Pope Leo XIV held his first Ordinary Public Consistory to approve the canonizations of eight blesseds, including Carlo Acutis—who was scheduled to be canonized on September 7.
Why is this event significant?
St. Carlo Acutis being the first millennial saint is an inspiration to the younger generation of Catholic youth to stay faithful and follow the teachings of Jesus; he is an example to both children and adults that holiness is not something only reserved for the past, but is achievable by anyone.
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