The Catholic Church has officially named its first millennial saint: Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer prodigy who used technology to spread the faith and earned the nickname “God’s Influencer.”
Pope Leo XIV canonized Acutis on Sunday during an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square attended by an estimated 80,000 people.
The ceremony also elevated Pier Giorgio Frassati, another young Italian admired for his devotion.
“The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” Pope Leo said in his homily. “These new saints invite us, especially the youth, to make our lives masterpieces.”
Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis had an ordinary childhood but developed an extraordinary religious devotion.
A self-taught coder, he built a multilingual website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles, a project that cemented his reputation as a modern evangelist.
Despite his love for technology, he limited video games to one hour a week, insisting that relationships mattered more than screens.
In October 2006, Acutis died of leukemia just days after his diagnosis.
He was buried in Assisi, where pilgrims now flock to see his glass tomb, in which he lies dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. His legacy, bolstered by relics of his heart that have toured the world, has drawn millions of young Catholics.
The canonization was originally scheduled earlier this year but delayed after Pope Francis’ death in April.
Francis had been a strong supporter of Acutis’ cause, convinced that the church needed a relatable figure for the digital generation.
