## Pope Leo to Canonise Teen as First Millennial Saint
The canonisation of Carlo Acutis, poised to become the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, and Italian Catholic activist Pier Giorgio Frassati will take place in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Today’s ceremony marks Pope Leo XIV’s first since his election in May.
Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, anticipates the canonisations will resonate with young people, stating, ”The lives of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati send a powerful message to young people in our parishes, schools, colleges and those entering the workplace – that true happiness is not only possible today, but is also deeply attractive.”
the canonisation of Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, was originally scheduled for April but postponed following the death of Pope Francis. The event is expected to draw thousands of pilgrims and will be viewed by the faithful on giant screens in Assisi, a meaningful medieval city and pilgrimage site in Umbria.
Acutis, often referred to as ‘God’s Influencer,’ was a computer game enthusiast who taught himself coding. he used his skills to document miracles and elements of the Catholic faith online.The Vatican has recognised two miracles attributed to his intercession: the healing of a Brazilian child with a rare pancreatic malformation and the recovery of a costa rican student seriously injured in an accident. Relatives in both cases had prayed for his help, and Acutis was beatified by Pope Francis in 2020.
also being canonised is Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died of polio in 1925 at the age of 24.He was renowned for his dedication to helping those in need. His first recognised miracle occurred in 1933, involving the healing of a man suffering from Pott’s disease. A second miracle was confirmed in 2017 in the United States,where a seminarian’s ruptured Achilles tendon healed after prayers to Frassati.
Canonisation is a rigorous process, involving Vatican investigation and specialist assessment of reported miracles. Final approval rests with the Pope.
*Additional reporting by AFP/Reuters*
