A teenager known as “God’s influencer,” who had a passion for videogames and innovatively used the internet to spread the gospel, has been canonised as a saint by the Catholic Church. This unique elevation highlights a fascinating intersection of ancient tradition and modern digital culture. Carlo Acutis tragically died from leukaemia in 2006 at the tender age of 15, yet he dedicated his brief life to spreading awareness of the Catholic faith and aiding the poor. His journey to sainthood has been remarkably swift; the campaign for his canonisation began in 2012, just six years after his passing. He was declared “Venerable” in 2018, “Blessed” in 2020, and has now been formally declared a saint by the Pope in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, marking him as the first millennial saint deeply connected to the digital age.
Early Life, Virtues, and Digital Habits
Born in London, Carlo Acutis moved to Milan with his Italian parents as a baby and spent the remainder of his life there. From a young age, he demonstrated immense compassion, beginning at nine years old to spend his time helping the homeless. In a testament to his commitment to charity, he insisted on owning only one pair of shoes, ensuring any money saved was redirected to those in need. Alongside his devout faith, Acutis embraced hobbies common for his generation, including videogames. His family recalls him enjoying titles like Halo, as well as Nintendo classics such as Mario and popular Pokémon video games. After receiving a Sony PlayStation console at age eight, he displayed remarkable self-discipline, limiting his playtime to just one hour per day – a habit that speaks to a conscious approach to technology, even at a young age.
Miracles Paving the Path to Sainthood
For an individual to be recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church, two distinct miracles must be attributed to their intercession. Carlo Acutis was first beatified in 2020 after the initial miracle was acknowledged. This involved a Brazilian boy suffering from a severe pancreatic defect who experienced a complete cure after his mother prayed to Acutis for his assistance. The second miracle, which cleared the way for his canonisation, concerned the healing of a Costa Rican girl who had sustained a serious head injury after falling from her bike in Florence. Her mother sought divine intercession at Acutis’ tomb in Assisi, and her daughter subsequently made a full and inexplicable recovery, solidifying Acutis’s posthumous influence.
A Digital Pioneer: Evangelism in the Internet Age
Acutis earned the moniker “God’s influencer” for his trailblazing approach to using the internet as a powerful tool for evangelism. He meticulously created a popular website documenting Eucharistic miracles, leveraging digital platforms to disseminate the Catholic message in a contemporary and accessible manner. This proactive engagement with technology is a significant reason for his immense appeal to younger generations, bridging the perceived gap between traditional faith and modern tech-driven lifestyles. As Diego Sarkissian shared with the BBC, “The fact that you can think of a saint doing the same things [as you], wearing jeans, it feels so much closer than what other saints have felt like in the past.”
His mother, Antonia Salzano, underscored this modern relevance, stating to CNN, “As I did, you too can become holy. Nevertheless, (with) all the media, the technologies, it seems sometimes that holiness is something that belongs to the past. Instead, holiness is also something nowadays in this modern time.” Carlo Acutis’s story provides a compelling case study for how digital innovation can be harnessed for diverse purposes, transforming communication and community. His ability to curate and share information online not only demonstrated foresight but also established a template for future digital outreach, a topic of constant fascination for tech enthusiasts and developers.
With his canonisation complete, the tomb of Carlo Acutis in Assisi, where his body is preserved, is now an established pilgrimage site. The Catholic Church will annually remember him with a feast day, and it is anticipated that parishes and schools will be named in his honor, cementing his legacy as not only the first millennial saint but also a symbol of how technology can intertwine with deep-seated human endeavors and beliefs. His narrative truly resonates with the spirit of exploration and digital engagement that defines our era, making him a fascinating figure for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of technology and its impact on culture.