Pope Leo announces exact date teenage boy will become first Millennial saint
The first Millennial saint will be canonized in just a few weeks, Pope Leo XIV has announced.
The Pope held his first regular consistory for the public earlier this month after being elected in May. He formally approved the canonisations of eight saints, including the first one of the Millennial era, Carlo Acutis.
Originally scheduled for April 27, this was pushed back following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
Acutis was born in London and had an Italian background. He lived most of his life in Milan, where he was dedicated to the Catholic Church and to helping the less fortunate.
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The teen received his first communion when he was seven and regularly donated money to the poor as a child.
Acutis spent his evenings cooking hot meals for the homeless when he was old enough, and earned the nickname 'God's influencer', due to his affinity for tech.
He passed away at the age of 15 from leukaemia in 2006, but has been considered for sainthood after the Vatican determined he was behind two unexplainable miracles.
Vatican officials discovered the teen had helped a two-year-old Brazilian boy, Matheus Vianna, recover from a deadly disease.
Vianna was diagnosed with congenital disorder annular pancreas, which saw his mom turn to the church for help.
She received help from Father Marcelo Tenorio, who was blessing Acutis' body as part of the pre-canonization stage, who touched a piece of the teen's clothing to the toddler and asked for him to be healed.
Vianna's family said after the incident, he was never sick again.
The Vatican also deemed Acutis responsible for another miracle when Costa Rican woman Valeria Valverde, who had suffered a brain haemorrhage after a serious crash, started to breathe again.
Valverde's mom had prayed at Acutis' coffin, and the woman was later discharged from hospital after medics said her brain haemorrhage had fully gone.
The late teen's body has been preserved for the past 19 years, and was due to receive his sainthood from Pope Francis.
As per protocol for when a pope dies, several vital Catholic Church functions closed and shuttered.
Acutis' canonization has been in the works for almost two decades since his death - it will now go ahead on September 7.
Pope Leo said Acutis will be canonised along with Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 after contracting polio while helping the sick.
Topics: Pope Leo, Catholic Church, News
Gregory Robinson