An Italian teenager is set to become the world's first millennial saint in his scheduled canonization by the Catholic Church in September of this year.
The announcement was made by Pope Leo XIV, referring to teen Carlo Acutis, who lost his life from leukemia in 2006. The canonization later this year will be held in St. Peter's Square and officials expect that thousands of young people will attend the historic event.
First Millennial Saint
Acutis was 15 years old when he died but during those short years, he was able to make use of his computing skills to spread awareness of the Catholic faith. He did this by setting up a website that documented reports of miracles across the world.
In a Friday statement, the Vatican said that after Pope Leo XIV met with cardinals, it was decided that he would canonize the Italian teenager in September. They also talked about another youthful saint, Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 when he was 24 years old, who would also be canonized, according to WESH.
Originally, Acutis' canonization into a saint was scheduled to be held on Apr. 27, but it was postponed following the death of Pope Francis. The ceremony later this year will mark the first canonization presided over by the current Pope, who is also the first American pontiff.
Acutis has been nicknamed God's influencer, and he has developed a strong following among young Catholics and more. The teenager's tomb has already become a pilgrimage site, and more people have come to visit this year.
An Extraordinary Quality
The Italian teenager's mother, Antonia Salzano, said earlier this year that the heart of her son's appeal is that he lived the same life as many other people who were teenagers in the 2000s. She added that her son was like any other, who played, had friends, and went to school, Reuters reported.
However, the mother noted that Acutis' extraordinary quality was that he opened the door to his heart to Jesus and made him his priority throughout his life. The fact that the Church is making the teenager a saint suggests it believes he is now in Heaven with God.
Before the announcement of the teenager being made a saint, there were two miracles that were attributed to his intercession. The first was the healing of a four-year-old boy in Brazil who had a malformed pancreas and the second was the recovery of a 21-year-old university student from Costa Rica who had severe head trauma, as per the New York Times.
