'God's influencer': Carlos Acutis named first millennial saint following 2006 death
Blessed Carlo Acutis, a teen who died from cancer is the first millennial to be canonized as a saint.
"He was an ordinary boy, a boy who lived his childhood and youth between family, school, and the games children play," said Bishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino.
On Monday, the College of Cardinals voted for the teen's canonization, reports the Catholic News Agency, and in 2025, he will be declared a saint.
Acutis then lived a "life of faith that was nurtured until it reached a peak that now makes him stand out in the eyes of the Church and the world as a saint, who will soon be proclaimed," he added.
Two medical miracles have already been attributed to the teen, who was known as "God's influencer."
Who was Acutis?
Acutis was an Italian teen who used his tech skills to spread the Catholic faith.
He was born on May 3, 1991, in London and died on Oct. 12, 2006 in Italy after battling to leukemia, reports Vatican News. Before his death, he considered becoming a priest, reports WJBF.
The teen's beatification took place in 2020, meaning the pope declared the teen attained the blessedness of heaven, and Acutis was given the title of Blessed.
Miracles attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis
A student attending a university in Florence fell off her bike and suffered severe head trauma and required craniotomy surgery that had a low chance of survival. However, her miraculous recovery is attributed to Acutis, reports Vatican News.
The student's mother made the pilgrimage to visit Acutis' tomb and leave a note. The same day, her daughter started to breathe spontaneously. The day after, she began to move and regained some of her speech.
Ten days later, a CAT scan showed her brain hemorrhage had disappeared.
What is a saint?
Saints are persons in heaven who were officially canonized or not who did one of the following, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Lived heroically virtuous lives.
Offered their life to others.
Died for their faith.
All saints must have lived lives worthy of imitation.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Italian teen Carlos Acutis is first millennial saint: God's Influencer
