Pope And Cardinal Agree To Canonization, Carlo Acutis Will Become First Holy People From Millennials

Pope Francis during a meeting with the Cardinal's Council. (Source: VATICAN MEDIA/Divisione Photo)

JAKARTA - An Italian teenager who likes to play video games will become the first holy person among the millennials of the Catholic Church, after his canonization request is approved by church authorities.

Carlo Acutis, who died of trauma in 2006 at the age of 15, is best known for using his computer skills to spread awareness of Catholic faith and earned the nickname "God's Influence."

Often described wearing jeans and sneakers, the story is seen as useful for the Catholic Church as it seeks to be more connected to the younger generation in the digital era, making it popular among Catholic youths, cited from CNN July 1.

To be recognized as a holy person in the Catholic Church can take decades. However, Acutis' petition has moved quickly, with the teenager developing loyal followers around the world.

The church procession usually requires candidates to have two wonders associated with them, with any supernatural events suspected of requiring in-depth examination. In May, the second miracle attributed to Acutis was recognized by Pope Francis, a decision that paved the way for him to be declared a holy man.

That leaves one final step, which was completed on Monday, when the Vatican announced the Pope had determined the canonization would resume after the cardinals summoned by the Pope voted in favor of the feasibility of Acutis, along with 14 others.

Although the canonization date has not yet been set, although it is likely to occur one day during the celebration of the Yubelium Year of the Catholic Church in 2025.

The canonization ceremony, which is expected to take place in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City in the presence of tens of thousands of people and is led by the Pope, will be a moment when Acutis is officially declared a holy man, meaning the worldwide Catholic Church can name the parish and school as the teenager's name and will remember him every year on the "holiday".

Pope Francis presides at an Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, which approved the canonization of 15 people, including Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be made a saint.Read more: https://t.co/s0sBFCZoiE

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 1, 2024

Pope Francis presides at an Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, which approved the canonization of 15 people, including Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be made a saint.Read more: https://t.co/s0sBFCZoiE

Acutis was born in London, Great Britain, in 1991, making him a millennial generation group, remembered by friends and his family as people who like to play video games such as Halo, Super Mario and Pokémon.

During his brief life, he also created a website documenting reports about the wonders that occurred in various parts of the world. In addition to computers and games, Acutis also plays saxophones, enjoys football, loves animals, and makes funny short films about his dogs.

His mother, Antonia Salzano, described her son as a "sign of hope" indicating she was still possible at this time.

"As I did, you can also be holy," he told CNN in May.

"Meskipun demikian, (dengan) semua media, teknologi, terkadang tampaknya adalah sesuatu yang sudah kalah kalah kalah zaman. Sebaliknya,men juga merupakan sesuatu yang terjadi saat ini di masa modern ini," lanjutnya.

He said his son bought PlayStation at the age of eight, but limited himself to playing games just an hour a week because he was worried the game could be addictive and knew "the dangers of the internet."

Salzano added that since the age of nine, the young man has spent time helping the homeless in Milan and giving money to those sleeping on the streets. He explained that Acutis insisted on only having a pair of shoes, so he could save to help the poor.

Acutis was beat up and declared "blessed" in 2020 after his first miracle, when he reportedly healed a Brazilian boy who had had an abnormality since birth in the pancreas which left him unable to eat food normally. He reportedly recovered after his mother said he prayed to Acutis to take advantage of and help heal his son.

A second eclipse linked to Acutis is related to the reported healing of a girl from Costa Rica who suffered head trauma after falling from her bicycle in Florence, Italy, where she studied. Her mother said she prayed for her daughter's recovery at the Acutis grave in Assisi.

Quoting Vatican News, apart from Acutis, the Pope and the Cardinal Council, which held a meeting at the Vatican Apostulic Palace last Monday, also approved the canonization of 14 others, including the Martir Damascus group (11 people) who died as a result of the Syrian Civil War in 1860, Father Giuseppe Allamano, Sr. Elena Guerra and Sr. Marie-Léonie Paradis.