‘God’s Influencer’ has path cleared by pope to become first millennial saint

Two claimed miracles recognized by Pope Francis on Thursday, May 23, have paved the way for the first millennial to become a saint within the Catholic Church. The late Carlo Acutis, who became known as “God’s influencer” for spreading awareness of the Catholic faith, built a website that documented miracles and performed many charitable acts. Acutis died in 2006 at the age of 15 after a battle with Leukemia. Acutis will now have his faith rewarded through canonization.

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The latest miracle attributed to Acutis happened in 2022. A mother said she believes her prayers at the tomb of Acutis in Assisi, Italy, led to her daughter’s recovery from a severe brain injury after her daughter fell off of her bicycle in Florence. Doctors did not believe that her daughter would survive. However, two days after her prayers, her mother said that a CT scan showed that her daughter’s brain hemorrhage had vanished.

The first miracle recognized by Pope Francis happened in 2020. The miracle involved a Brazilian boy being healed from a pancreatic birth defect after his mother prayed to Acutis.

As the path to sainthood continues, Pope Francis said he will convene a meeting of cardinals to set a date for canonization. To become a saint, the first step involves an investigation of the person’s life and acts. After thorough review, a person can then be deemed eligible.

The life of Acutis was reportedly one of devout faith. When he was seven years old, he wrote that his life plan was to “always be close to Jesus.”

In January, Pope Francis urged young people to learn from Acutis. Pope Francis said, “he did a great deal of good things,” in his 15 years of life.

“Above all, he was impassioned by Jesus; and since he was very good at getting around on the internet, he used it in the service of the gospel, spreading love for prayer, the witness of faith and charity toward others,” Pope Francis said.

Acutis was born in 1991 in London, but shortly after moved to Italy. Acutis has drawn a major following for his website and faith.

In 2020, Acutis was beatified. The following year, around 117,000 people came to see the tomb where his body lay on display.

In addition to Acutis, Pope Francis also approved the canonization of 11 martyrs in Syria.