The Roman Catholic Church has canonized its first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who used the internet to spread the Catholic faith (as a millenian is characterized someone born between 1980 and 1995).
Born in London in 1991, Acutis devoted his short life to promoting Catholic values online. He passed away from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15.
Pope Francis attributed a second miracle to Acutis, leading to his canonization. This decision was warmly received by the faithful, as reported by Sky News.
Carlo Acutis was born in London and raised in Milan. From a young age, he demonstrated a deep commitment to his faith, managing his parish’s website and promoting a Vatican-based academy online. After receiving his first Communion at age seven, Carlo said, “I want to always be united with Jesus: This is my life plan.” His mother said to the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” that, from the age of three, Carlo was visiting churches and giving his pocket money to the poor.
Pope Francis announced Carlo’s canonization after a meeting with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. To be canonized, a person must have lived a life of “sufficient holiness” and “heroic virtue” and have at least two miracles attributed to them, verified by the Church.
In 2020, Acutis was credited with his first miracle, saving a Brazilian boy from a rare disease. The second miracle, recognized in 2022, involved a 21-year-old woman from Costa Rica who recovered from a severe injury following a bicycle accident in Florence.
The Vatican teaches that only God can perform miracles, but Saints, believed to be in heaven with God, can act as mediators for those who pray to them. Carlo Acutis’ canonization marks a significant moment in the Catholic Church, celebrating the life and digital evangelism of a modern-day saint.
Source: protothema.gr / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
📹VIDEO | The body of Blessed Carlo Acutis is exposed in Assisi, Italy, and even though authorities within the Catholic Church have said the body is not incorrupt, his almost intact appearance is astounding. Future Saint Carlo Acutis, pray for us! pic.twitter.com/97I0BTq97K
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