Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager hailed by the media as “God’s influencer” and “patron saint of the internet,” will be made a saint on April 26, 2025, reports Salon24.
During the last of his weekly audiences, Pope Francis announced that the British-Italian who rose to internet fame in the early 2000s as the author of numerous Catholic websites will be canonized.
Acutis, who died 18 years ago at the age of 15 has been hailed by the media as “God’s influencer” and “patron saint of the internet.” He will become the first millennial to be canonized and the 23rd person in the 21st century, a group that includes Pope John Paul II.
Acutis was beatified in 2020 when Pope Francis approved the miracle he had performed — a boy from Brazil had overcome a life-threatening pancreatic disease thanks to the boy’s mother praying to Acutis for an intercession.
The next miracle involved a 21-year-old from Costa Rica who suffered a serious head injury after an accident; the woman’s mother also prayed for an intercession by Acutis, and she then completely recovered from her brain hemorrhage.
It is because of these events that the “God’s influencer” will be elevated to the dignity of a saint.
Carlo was a deeply religious Catholic. He attended mass daily and called the Blessed Sacrament his “highway to heaven.” At the age of 11, he began his most famous initiative, a website that documented Eucharistic miracles around the world. He believed that the Internet was a powerful tool that could be used to spread the Gospel and encourage people to deepen their faith.
Carlo died on October 12, 2006, from leukemia, at the age of just 15. Before his death, he offered his suffering for the Church and the Pope. His funeral was attended by crowds who witnessed the great impact his life had on those around him.
