Vatican canonizes ‘God’s influencer’ as first millennial saint

Carlo Acutis, a teenage gamer and computer whiz, used his skills to help bring the Catholic faith into the digital age

The Vatican has canonized as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint an Italian teenager who used his computer skills to spread the faith online, earning the nickname “God’s Influencer.”

Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of just 15, inspired a worldwide youth following as one of the first to bring the Catholic faith into the digital age. During his illness, he created a multilingual website cataloging accounts of Eucharistic miracles – events in which believers say bread and wine consecrated during Mass became the actual body and blood of Christ.

“He grew up naturally integrating prayer, sport, study and charity into his days as a child and young man,” the Pope said while presiding over Mass in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday.

Acutis was canonized alongside Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 at age 24 and is remembered for his service to the poor and involvement in Catholic associations.

Some critics have questioned the decision, arguing that Acutis was too focused on Eucharistic miracles and overlooked other aspects of the faith.

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Vatican enlists ‘hot priests’ to save faith

“It seems to me that there is a desire to steer the Church towards a very problematic devotion and a search for ‘special signs,’” Andrea Grillo, a professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo told CNN on Sunday. It is “not a virtue” to seek miracles, he added.

In recent months, the Vatican has stepped up efforts to reach younger audiences and expand its digital outreach. In July, it hosted a digital evangelism event that brought together more than 1,000 Catholic influencers.

A number of the social media personalities gained followers not only through their Catholic teachings but also by their appearance. Such clerics were dubbed “hot priests” by fans and news outlets.