Thousands of faithful are flocking to the Vatican today, Sunday 7/09, to witness the canonization ceremony of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, known as “God’s influencer“. The young Italian, who died of leukemia in 2006, has become a symbol of faith and hope for the new generation of Catholics.
His body, preserved in a glass coffin in Assisi, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Today, Pope Leo will officially declare him a saint in a magnificent ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, with thousands of faithful watching from giant screens both in the Vatican and in his homeland, Assisi.
Carlo Acutis: The first Catholic saint of his generation
Originally, he was supposed to be canonized on April 27, but the event was postponed after the death of Pope Francis. Acutis’ canonization has attracted the interest of young Catholics and is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to Rome, as he will be the first Catholic saint of his generation.
Acutis, born in London but raised in Milan, believed deeply despite his parents not being particularly religious. Using his knowledge of video games and programming languages, he leveraged the internet to spread his faith, earning the nickname “God’s influencer”.
The Vatican will proceed with his canonization after recognizing two of his miracles. The first miracle involves the healing of a child in Brazil from a rare disease, and the second involves the recovery of a student in Costa Rica from a serious car accident injury. In both cases, relatives had prayed for help from the teenager.
Live from St. Peter’s Square
