In a move that has been hailed as a significant sign of change, the Roman Catholic Church has canonized its first millennial saint: a young Italian teenager named Carlo Acutis. Known posthumously as “God’s influencer” and the “patron saint of the internet,” Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006, lived a life that, on the surface, seems a world away from the ancient martyrs and biblical figures of the past. He was a modern tech whiz who used his passion for computers to build a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles. His canonization is not only an official confirmation of his entry into heaven but also a strategic decision by a centuries-old institution to connect with a younger, digital-native generation and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
The Arduous Path to Sainthood: From Venerable to Canonized
The process of becoming a saint in the Catholic Church is a long and arduous journey, one that is as much about proving holiness as it is about navigating a complex bureaucracy. It is an official declaration that a person has reached heaven by living a “heroically virtuous life.” The journey begins at the local level, where a person or group must convince a bishop that a candidate’s cause is worthy. The Church requires a candidate to have been dead for at least five years, a rule that can be waived by the Pope, as was the case for Mother Teresa.
Once a cause is formally opened, the process enters a rigorous investigative phase. Local investigators meticulously comb through the candidate’s writings, letters, and personal life, interviewing everyone who knew them. Their goal is to prove that the individual lived a life of exemplary virtue, demonstrating qualities such as faith, hope, charity, and justice. If the findings are positive and the Pope affirms the report, the person is declared “venerable.” This is the first major step. From there, the process requires evidence of two distinct miracles, which are subject to a separate, equally rigorous investigation. The first miracle leads to beatification, which allows the person to be venerated in their local church. The second miracle, occurring after beatification, leads to the final step of canonization, officially declaring them a saint.
The Modern Miracle: Divine Intervention in an Age of Science
For a person to be formally declared a saint, the Catholic Church requires evidence of at least two miracles, with the first leading to beatification and the second to canonization. In the 20th century, nearly all of these miracles have been medical in nature, as they are considered the most straightforward to prove. However, in a world of advanced medicine and scientific skepticism, the process of verifying these miraculous healings has become increasingly complex and demanding. The Vatican convenes a committee of doctors and scientific experts to evaluate the patient’s medical records, scrutinizing every detail to determine if there is any plausible scientific explanation for the cure.
For a healing to be considered a miracle, it must meet three key criteria: it must be a complete and instantaneous cure of an illness that was otherwise deemed incurable, and it must have occurred in direct response to prayer to the prospective saint and no one else. This last requirement is especially difficult to prove in the modern era, as it requires devotees to swear they prayed exclusively to the individual. As medicine and technology advance, it becomes harder to prove that a healing was truly beyond human explanation. This reality led to reforms under Pope John Paul II in 1983, which cut the number of required miracles from four to two, a reflection of the Church’s acknowledgment of the challenges posed by the modern scientific landscape.
Sainthood as Strategy: The Church’s Quest for Relevance
While sainthood is fundamentally about holiness, it is also, as scholars and historians have noted, about relevance. The canonization process is a strategic tool the Catholic Church uses to inspire and energize its members. Research has shown a direct correlation between the rise in sainthoods and competition from Protestantism or Evangelicalism in a given region. The Church has historically used the creation of new saints to provide a local and relatable figure to counter external religious threats, a practice that has continued in the modern era.
In this context, the canonization of Carlo Acutis is seen by many as a clear and deliberate strategy to reconnect with a younger generation that is leaving the Church in growing numbers. Acutis is a saint who, in many ways, reflects the modern Catholic youth. He was not a distant, ancient figure but a teenager who went to school, played video games, and, most importantly, used technology for a virtuous purpose. By honoring “God’s influencer,” the Church is signaling that holiness can be found not just in monasteries or on battlefields but also in the digital world. This move shows a forward-thinking approach, recognizing that the best way to inspire a new generation is to provide a saint they can see themselves reflected in.
A Saint of Our Own: The Enduring Power of Modern Icons
The canonization of a millennial like Carlo Acutis is more than just a procedural event; it is a profound statement about the enduring power of saints and their role in the Catholic faith. Saints are not meant to be inaccessible, perfect beings; they are meant to be examples, guides, and intercessors who show humanity a path to God through their own lived experiences. By canonizing a modern icon, the Church is reaffirming that heroic virtue can be found in the most unexpected of places and that a holy life can be lived in the modern world, complete with technology, distractions, and challenges.
This move does not diminish the holiness of Acutis but rather elevates the experiences of a new generation. It is a recognition that the digital world, so often seen as a source of moral decay and spiritual emptiness, can also be a vehicle for spreading the faith and living a virtuous life. In a world where the age gap in religion is growing, the creation of a saint who is “one of us” is a powerful message of hope and relevance. It shows that the Church, a timeless institution, is willing to adapt to the present moment, offering a beacon of light to a new generation searching for meaning in a complex and often confusing world.
