The 15-year-old Italian teenager Carlo Acutis was canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15 and became known as God’s “influencer.” Crowds gathered from Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square to watch the ceremony, with giant screens set up for the occasion.
Papa Leone XIV proclama in latino la formula di canonizzazione, dichiarando ufficialmente due nuovi santi per la Chiesa cattolica.
San Carlo Acutis e San Pier Giorgio Frassati, pregate per noi e per i giovani di tutto il mondo! pic.twitter.com/DhrSVq96eC— EWTN Italia 🇮🇹 (@EwtnItalia) September 7, 2025
Thus, Acutis became the first saint of the Catholic Church belonging to the millennial generation.
Michele Acutis reads the First Reading in English at his older brother Carlo Acutis’ Canonization Mass. This is the first time we have seen him in public since his brother’s beatification. He was born along with his twin sister, Francesca, four years after Carlo died. pic.twitter.com/T4F9EniWLG
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) September 7, 2025
The 15-year-old, who used his computer skills to create websites with religious content, has inspired thousands of young Catholics worldwide. His mother, Antonia Salzano, told Reuters that her son’s appeal was based on the fact that he was a normal child like others, but his uniqueness was that he prioritized God and used his talent to spread the Gospel. “He wanted to help people have more faith, to understand that there is life after death,” she said characteristically.
Images from Carlo Acutis’ canonization at the Vatican
The canonization ceremony was originally scheduled for April but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis. Pope Leo, who was elected in May, presided over his first canonization ceremony today.
Acutis’ body is housed in the city of Assisi, as was his wish, and his tomb has become an important pilgrimage site. There he is displayed with a wax figure depicting him wearing a tracksuit, jeans, and sneakers.
Besides Acutis, the Pope also canonized Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian who died of polio in the 1920s and was known for his charitable work.
