The 15-year-old computer prodigy was canonized, his form was still intact after 19 years

After his death, Carlo Acutis - an Italian boy born in London became the new saint of the Church. At the age of 15, Carlo died of leukemia in 2006, but in that short time, he left a deep mark .

On September 8, 2025, in St. Peter's Square (Vatican), tens of thousands of Catholics and a large number of religious officials witnessed a historic moment: Pope Leo XIV officially proclaimed Carlo Acutis as the new saint of the Church.

In his homily at the open-air ceremony, Pope Leo XIV emphasized: "The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God's plan. Carlo and Pier Giorgio Frassati have turned their lives into masterpieces by giving everything to God." Along with Carlo, the Church also canonized Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Catholic activist who lived a century ago, to the rank of saints.

This event has special significance because Carlo is the first canonized saint in the 21st century, representing a younger generation of Catholics living in the digital age. From a very early age, he knew how to use the internet, program and build websites to spread the faith – which led the media to call him "God's influencer".

An hour before Mass, St. Peter's Square was packed with people. Many of the pilgrims were young Italians who looked to Carlo as a living example. The Vatican said as many as 36 cardinals, 270 bishops and hundreds of priests were with the pope. The solemn and emotional atmosphere shows the special attraction of the two new saints to believers around the world.

Initially, the canonization ceremony was scheduled to take place earlier this year, but was postponed due to the departure of Pope Francis in April. It was Pope Francis who enthusiastically pushed for Carlo's canonization, with the belief that the Church needed a young, close role model, to bring young people closer to the faith in the context of the technological boom.

Since Carlo's death, the town of Assisi – the hometown of St. Francis – has become a popular pilgrimage destination. Over the past year, more than 1 million people have come here to see his body, which is housed in a glass case at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Carlo wears a blue jacket, jeans and sneakers – the familiar outfit of a modern teenager.

His heart was kept in a gold box in the church of San Rufino, and tissue fragments from the pericardium were taken to various parts of the world in preparation for the canonization. His mother, Antonia Salzano , also traveled throughout Catholic communities to recount her son's life, carrying Carlo's hair as a spiritual treasure.

Carlo was born on May 3, 1991 in London to a wealthy but not very religious family. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Milan. Carlo's childhood was filled with joy like many of his peers, but at the same time marked by a deepening morality.

Since childhood, he has been fascinated by computers and programming, being able to read and understand college materials even as a teenager. Instead of using her skills for games or entertainment, Carlo chose to build websites showcasing Eucharistic miracles and miracles in Catholic history. He loves playing PlayStation but limits himself to just one hour a week, and that discipline has become a symbol of the balance between technology and spiritual life.

In October 2006, Carlo suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with acute leukemia. In just a few days, he breathed his last at the age of 15. Before his death, he asked to be buried in Assisi, where he admired St. Francis.

Carlo's mother shared: "I often go to church, pray the rosary every day. You cannot be indifferent to the sadness of others. Living in the middle of central Milan, where there are many homeless people, I always find ways to help them with food and warm blankets." For her, Carlo is both an ordinary teenager who loves sports, friends, the internet; and a soul full of faith and compassion.

Shortly after Carlo's death, many people begged him to intercede for him and tell of miraculous healings. At the funeral, there were many migrants, bullied children and poor people he used to help.

Last year, the Vatican recognized two of Carlo's miracles. The first miracle was the cure of a boy in Brazil with a congenital pancreatic defect. The second miracle involved a student in Florence who suffered a traumatic brain injury, after his mother prayed at Carlo's grave in Assisi. It was these events that paved the way for the process of canonization to take place quickly.

Also canonized this time was Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), the son of a wealthy family in Turin but famous for his generosity and dedication to helping the poor. Frassati died at the age of 24 due to polio. However, compared to Frassati's nearly century-long journey, Carlo's canonization process took place at a rare pace. This reflects the Church's strong desire to bring a young, close face, representing the digital century, to the global community of believers.

Today, in the eyes of many young people, Carlo is not only a saint but also a companion on the journey to live the faith in the midst of the technological age. He proved that the internet, if used correctly, can become a tool for preaching God's Word and connecting hearts.

Carlo once wrote, "Everyone is born an original, but many die as a clone." That saying has become the motto of millions of Catholic youth, urging them to live differently and dedicate their lives to noble values.

In his exhortation at the end of the Mass, Pope Leo XIV affirmed: "Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati are fervent invitations to all of us, especially young people: do not waste your life, but make it a masterpiece."

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