Pope Francis death: After new Pope, world to get its first millennial saint

Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian teenager famous as God’s Influencer, was slated to become the first millennial saint five days from now. However, the death of Pope Francis on April 21 has postponed the canonisation ceremony of the 15-year-old who died from leukaemia in 2006. Hundreds of pilgrims have been visiting Acutis’ tomb in the Italian town of Assisi every day. A million people made the pilgrimage last year to the tomb of Acutis, who will become the first sneaker-wearing saint. Only the wait has become a bit longer.

“Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled for April 27, 2025, II Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents, is suspended,” the Pope’s Press Office said in a statement on April 21.

Acutis became popular for creating a website for his parish, coding and using his skills to spread awareness about the Catholic belief. This earned him the moniker God’s Influencer.

More than 80,000 teenagers from 15 countries, including India, were expected to gather in Rome for the April 27 canonisation amid the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers, according to the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

Here’s more about Carlo Acutis, who would become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.

CARLO ACUTIS: PASSIONATE ABOUT CHRIST AND COMPUTERS

Born in London on May 3, 1991, to a wealthy Italian family, Carlo Acutis grew up in Milan, Italy.

His deep spiritual life took root early — he received his First Communion at 7 and soon began attending daily Mass, praying the rosary, and spending hours in eucharistic adoration.

Though deeply devout, Carlo was also an ordinary teenager. He enjoyed hiking, playing video games, and joking with friends.

But he also taught catechism at his local parish, volunteered with the homeless, and found a unique way to blend his faith with his tech skills.

Passionate about computers, Carlo built websites for his parish and created an online exhibit chronicling over 100 eucharistic miracles recognised by the Church.

He learnt to code as a child and used his skills to spread awareness of the Catholic belief.

In October 2006, when he was just 15, Carlo was diagnosed with acute leukaemia. Within 10 days, he breathed his last in a hospital in northern Italy.

He had asked to be buried in Assisi, the home town of his beloved St Francis.

His body now rests in a glass-sided tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Assisi. He is displayed in jeans, a tracksuit top, and trainers—just as he lived.

HOW GOD’S INFLUENCER WILL BECOME A SAINT

Carlo’s path to sainthood began after Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to him — a seven-year-old Brazilian boy was cured of a rare pancreatic disorder after touching one of Carlo’s T-shirts, following prayers offered by a priest to Carlo for his recovery.

For sainthood, the Vatican requires two confirmed miracles.

Carlo’s second miracle involved a 21-year-old student in Costa Rica who suffered serious head trauma in a bicycle accident.

After his mother prayed at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi, the student made a swift and complete recovery, which the Vatican recognised as a miracle.

Carlo’s life and legacy have drawn crowds to his tomb, where a wax figure resembling him rests over his body.

“Over the last year, more than a million pilgrims paid homage to Acutis,” Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino told the Associated Press.

While some pilgrims clutch rosaries, others take selfies or touch the protective glass over a seemingly sleeping young man, according to an AP report.

Acutis is also rare, because he attracts youth.

The teenager’s happy image, usually in a red polo shirt and carrying a backpack, is popular in souvenir shops, according to the AP report.

CANONISATION OF CARLO ACUTIS WILL BE HISTORIC

His canonisation was set to be historic. Among the 912 people canonised by Pope Francis, none had been born as recently as Carlo, who would have become the first millennial saint.

His mother, Antonia Salzano, often speaks about her son’s extraordinary compassion and devotion.

From a young age, he donated his pocket money to the poor, defended classmates with disabilities, and supported friends through difficult family situations. He chose to live simply, often limiting himself to one pair of shoes at a time.

“Carlo was a regular child,” Salzano told Reuters. He played, had friends, and went to school. But his extraordinary quality was that he opened his heart fully to Jesus and put Him first in everything.”

For now, the world will have to wait a little longer to witness the canonisation of this modern, tech-savvy teenager whose short life continues to capture the interest of not just devotees but many across the world. First the world will get a new Pope, then its first millennial saint.