Pope Leo XIV declared a 15-year-old computer prodigy the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint on Sunday, canonizing Carlo Acutis during an open-air Mass at St. Peter’s Square attended by tens of thousands of worshippers.
The ceremony drew an estimated 80,000 people, including many young Catholics and families with children, highlighting Acutis’ wide appeal.
Known as “God’s influencer,” Acutis combined his passion for technology with deep religious devotion, creating a multilingual website that cataloged Eucharistic miracles recognized by the church.
During his homily, Leo praised Acutis and fellow new saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, saying they had turned their lives into “masterpieces” by dedicating themselves to God.
“The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” Leo said.
Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis grew up in a well-off but not especially devout Catholic family.
His interest in computers led him to master college-level programming at a young age, and his Eucharistic miracles website became one of the earliest online religious resources developed by a layperson.
Despite his love of technology, Acutis limited himself to just one hour of video games a week, believing human connections mattered more than virtual ones.
He also spent hours in prayer before the Eucharist daily, aligning with the church’s push to revive the practice of Eucharistic adoration.
At age 15, Acutis was diagnosed with acute leukemia and died in October 2006, only days after falling ill.
He was buried in Assisi, home of St. Francis, where his body lies in a glass tomb. Dressed in jeans, Nike sneakers, and a sweatshirt, he has drawn millions of pilgrims since his death.
Questions about the preservation of his body and the global tours of his relics — including parts of his heart — have added to his mystique.
The Vatican promoted his canonization as part of an effort to offer young Catholics a relatable role model.
“Much of his popularity is because the Vatican wanted a ‘saint next door’ who did extraordinary things in ordinary life,” said Matthew Schmalz, a professor of religious studies at Holy Cross in Massachusetts. “He is a new saint of simplicity for the ever complex digital landscape of contemporary Catholicism.”
The canonization Mass included 36 cardinals, 270 bishops and hundreds of priests, underscoring the significance the Catholic hierarchy places on Acutis’ appeal to modern believers.
For some, Acutis’ sainthood feels personal. “It’s like I can maybe not be as great as Carlo may be, but I can be looking after him and be like, ‘What would Carlo do?’” said Leo Kowalsky, an eighth grader at a Chicago parish named after Acutis.
In Rome, young Catholics filled St. Peter’s Square hours before the Mass.
“Even on social networks that are used so much, it is important to have him as an influencer,” said Leopoldo Antimi, 27, who traveled from Rome to witness the event.
Acutis was canonized alongside Frassati, who died of polio in 1925 at the age of 24 and is known in Italy for his devotion to serving the poor and inspiring his peers.
The canonization, originally scheduled earlier this year, had been delayed following the death of Pope Francis in April.
Francis had championed Acutis’ case, seeing him as a figure who could bridge the gap between the church and younger generations in the digital age.
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