Pope Leo XIV canonises Carlo Acutis as first millennial saint and names him ‘God’s influencer’

Pope Leo XIV has declared Carlo Acutis, a British-Italian teenager who died in 2006, the first millennial saint, calling him ‘God’s influencer’ during his canonisation address.

Acutis, born in 1991, developed a passion for computers and video games at a young age. Largely self-taught, he learned how to programme and create websites, including one that documented “Eucharistic miracles” and reported apparitions of Mary.

He also designed pages for his school and parish, using his digital skills to spread the teachings of the Catholic faith.

At 15, Acutis was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting white blood cells.

He died just days after the diagnosis, when his parents had first taken him to the hospital for a sore throat.

Nearly two decades later, Acutis has become a revered figure within the Catholic community for his use of technology to engage with faith.

On September 7 2025, Pope Leo XIV canonised him as a saint, highlighting his example for young people.

“The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” Pope Leo said. “New saints are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces.”

Many Catholics, particularly in Italy, welcomed the announcement. Roman citizen Leopoldo Antimi told PBS: “I learned from different people what his professors, his teachers said about his joy and the light he carried around him. So for me personally as an Italian, even on social networks that are used so much, it is important to have him as an influencer.”