A Modern Teen Saint: Carlo Acutis and Youth in the Church

On 7 September 2025 Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, a ceremony that followed a consistory in which cardinals enrolled both blesseds in the Book of Saints. The rite, which had been postponed in April after the death of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025, was set to begin at 10:00, and it drew large numbers of pilgrims and young visitors who had been preparing for the Jubilee events in Rome.

Carlo Acutis, born in 1991 and raised in Milan after his birth in London, died of leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006. He became known for creating a digital catalogue of Eucharistic miracles and for using programming to support parish work; these activities have been highlighted in the church's presentation of him as a modern example of holiness. His path to sainthood included beatification in 2020 and the recognition of a second miracle by Pope Francis on 23 May 2024, a decision that opened the way to canonization.

Nevertheless, commentators have noted that the speed and publicity of the cause invite debate about how saints are chosen in the contemporary era. The Vatican has published official notices of the consistory and the date of 7 September 2025, while local devotion at Acutis' tomb in Assisi has continued to grow. Consequently, many observers see the new saints as figures who will help the church engage younger generations, especially where faith and digital life intersect and learn from them.