Italian teen Carlo Acutis to become first millennial saint
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Carlo Acutis, the web designer and "patron saint of the internet" who died of leukemia at 15 years old, will be canonized next April.
Francis’ announcement will make Acutis the youngest contemporary saint and the first millennial and digital-era saint. The canonization will happen at a Mass during the Jubilee of Adolescents at the Vatican on April 25-27.
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Acutis, who was born to Italian parents in London, was a web designer who died of leukemia in Italy in 2006 at the age of 15. Francis beatified him in 2020 in Assisi, where his wax-encased body is displayed in a tomb that draws a steady stream of pilgrims.
A tapestry featuring a portrait of Carlo Acutis is hang at the St. Francis Basilica during the beatification ceremony of Carlo Acutis, on October 10, 2020 in Assisi, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Touted as the "patron saint of the internet," Acutis used his natural tech talent to create a website to catalog miracles and took care of websites for some local Catholic organizations. He was also nicknamed "God’s influencer."
Francis announced in May that he had approved a second miracle attributed to Acutis’ intercession, paving the way for Wednesday’s announcement.
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The pope also announced Wednesday that he will canonize Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man known for helping those in need who died of polio in the 1920s, in late July or early August next year.