"First millennial saint": Pope Leo XIV proclaims 15-year-old Carlo Acutis as saint

Tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to the Vatican on Sunday to witness the canonisation of Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager celebrated as “God’s Influencer” for his work spreading the Catholic faith online.

Pope Leo XIV officially declared Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at just 15 years old, the Church’s first millennial saint during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, earning cheers and applause from the crowd.

Pilgrims, many waving flags and images of Acutis, filled the square, creating a vibrant gathering of faith and devotion. “Carlo Acutis is an example for me because he was able to combine his everyday life, school, football, and his passion for IT and computers, with an unshakeable faith,” said 17-year-old Filippo Bellaviti. He added that the atmosphere was “beautiful,” noting, “Seeing people from so many parts of the world, you can see the affection for Carlo for what he's done.”

About 800 visitors traveled from Assisi, where Acutis’ body rests in a glass-walled tomb wearing jeans and trainers. The canonisation mass was also broadcast on giant screens in Assisi, the historic city and pilgrimage site in Umbria.

Italian mountaineer and social activist Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died of polio at 24 in 1925, was also canonised during the ceremony, with tapestries of both young men displayed on St. Peter’s Basilica. The event, initially scheduled for April, had been postponed following Pope Francis’ death and marked the first canonisation for US-born Pope Leo, who expressed joy at seeing so many young attendees.

Acutis’ mother, Antonia Salzano, shared her pride, saying he would “thank all those coming to mark his elevation to sainthood.” In a video released by the Assisi diocese, she said her son’s life proves “we are all called to be saints… everyone is special.”

Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, Acutis grew up in Milan with a deep faith despite his parents not being particularly devout. Known for his kindness toward bullied children and the homeless, he brought food and sleeping bags to those in need. A computer enthusiast, he taught himself coding and used technology to document miracles and other aspects of Catholicism online.

Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi encouraged young people to follow Acutis’ example. “Today more than ever we need positive examples, exemplary life stories that can help our young people avoid following discouraging images, violent examples, and fleeting fads that leave nothing behind,” he said.

The Vatican recognised two miracles attributed to Acutis since his death: the healing of a Brazilian child with a rare pancreatic malformation and the recovery of a Costa Rican student seriously injured in an accident. Both were prayed for through the teenager, who was beatified in 2020 by Pope Francis.

Among the international crowd, 15-year-old Eleanor Hauser from North Carolina said Acutis inspired her. “It shows that you can do so much even when you're young, you can make an impact on the world no matter how old you are.”