Vatican City — The Vatican has announced that Carlo Acutis, the beloved teenage tech whiz known as “God’s influencer,” will be canonized on September 7, 2025, making him the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.
The ceremony will take place in St. Peter’s Square and will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV, the Church’s first American pontiff, marking his first official canonization since assuming the papacy following the death of Pope Francis earlier this year.
Acutis, who died in 2006 at the age of 15 from leukemia, gained worldwide attention for his deep Catholic faith and remarkable use of technology to evangelize. During his life, he created a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles, drawing global attention for blending devotion and digital innovation.
A Saint for the Digital Age
Born in London and raised in Italy, Acutis is frequently depicted in casual clothes—jeans and sneakers—rather than religious garb, a detail that resonates with Generation Z Catholics. He loved video games, helped the homeless, and frequently gave away his pocket money to those in need.
“This is a powerful moment of reflection for young people around the world,” Pope Leo XIV said in a statement.
“Carlo reminds us that holiness is not about age, title, or position—it’s about how we live, how we love, and how we serve.”
Acutis will be canonized alongside Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian who died at 24 in 1925 and is also beloved by Catholic youth for his vibrant faith and social justice work.
The Path to Sainthood
In May 2025, the Vatican formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis, completing the requirements for canonization. The miracle involved the recovery of a Costa Rican girl who suffered severe head trauma from a bicycle accident. Her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb in Assisi, and the girl made a sudden, unexplainable recovery.
His first miracle, which led to his beatification in 2020, involved the healing of a Brazilian boy born with a digestive defect. After prayers to Acutis, the boy reportedly recovered completely.
The September event is expected to draw thousands of pilgrims and young Catholics from around the world. In March, long queues were reported outside the Sanctuary of the Renunciation in Assisi, where Acutis is buried, as devotees gathered to pay their respects.
A Growing Global Movement
Acutis’ canonization comes amid growing interest in Catholicism among Gen Z in both the U.S. and the U.K., according to recent surveys. Church leaders hope that his example will inspire a new generation to rediscover faith in a rapidly changing digital world.
“He was a bridge between heaven and the internet,” his mother Antonia Salzano said in an earlier interview. “His life shows that you don’t need to be extraordinary to be holy—you just need to offer your ordinary life to God.”
By Were Kelly
