'Influencer of God' Dies at 15, Becomes First Millennial Saint

Evangelized Online Until His Death at Age 15

Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), known as the "Influencer of God" for spreading faith through technology, has become the first millennial saint in the history of the Catholic Church. On September 7, Yonhap News, citing the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, reported that the canonization ceremony and Mass for Carlo Acutis were held that day at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Rome, Italy. At the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed, "We declare and confirm Blessed Carlo Acutis as a saint, elevate him to the ranks of the saints, and decree that the entire Church venerate them as saints with devout reverence."

Carlo Acutis (1991?2006), known as the "Influencer of God" for spreading faith through technology, has become the first millennial saint in the history of the Catholic Church. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The Pope added, "Saint Carlo Acutis is an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to waste our lives, but to direct our lives toward heaven and make them masterpieces." The canonization ceremony, which lasted for over two hours, concluded with the Angelus prayer. Tens of thousands of believers and tourists from around the world attended, celebrating the canonization of the first millennial saint.

Acutis, who was from Italy, is the first millennial saint (born between 1980 and the mid-1990s) in Catholic history. Born in 1991, he taught himself computer skills as an elementary school student and, until his death from acute leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006, passionately spread the Gospel by compiling Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions from around the world and posting them on a website. For this, he was called the "Influencer of God" and the "Patron Saint of the Internet."

Evangelizing Online Until His Death at Age 15

In 2020, when his body was reinterred at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi, Italy, it drew public attention because he was displayed wearing a hoodie and Nike sneakers. This led to him being called a symbol of "Millennials & Gen Z believers." The statue of him in front of the basilica also differs from traditional saints, depicting him kneeling beside Jesus Christ with a laptop computer resting on his hands.

Acutis, who is from Italy, is the first millennial saint (born between 1980 and the mid-1990s) in Catholic history. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

The canonization of Acutis proceeded at an unusually rapid pace. The Vatican investigates and verifies the heroic virtues and miracles of Catholic priests or laypeople before bestowing the titles of Venerable, Blessed, or Saint. The title of Venerable is given to those recognized for their virtues alone; if one miracle is recognized, the title of Blessed is conferred; and if two or more miracles are verified, sainthood is granted.

Because the verification process takes a long time, beatification and canonization usually require several decades, even at the shortest. Acutis was declared Blessed in 2020. This was after a seven-year-old boy in Brazil, suffering from a pancreatic disease, came into contact with a relic of Acutis's T-shirt and was cured after prayers, which was recognized as a miracle.

Subsequently, in 2022, the case of Valeria Valverde, a woman in her twenties from Costa Rica who had fallen into critical condition after emergency brain surgery following an accident in Florence, Italy, was recognized as the second miracle. She recovered rapidly after her mother prayed at Acutis's tomb, leading to his canonization. The canonization ceremony was originally scheduled for April 27, but was postponed due to the passing of Pope Francis. At the ceremony, Italian layman Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), who dedicated his life to charity for the poor and the sick, was also canonized.