Carlo Acutis, a London boy with Italian roots, will become the first saint born during the millennial generation. After his beatification in 2020, he will now, after a second miracle, be canonized by Pope Francis as patron saint of the internet, writes ‘The Guardian’.
Acutis was born in London but soon moved to Italy, where both his parents are from. It soon became clear that he was a genius on the computer. He taught himself to program and taught others about the Christian faith via the Internet. His father, Andrea Salzone, previously told the Italian news outlet ‘Corriere della Sera’ that the boy donated all his pocket money to churches throughout Milan from the age of three.
He said Acutis also offered help to classmates whose parents were going through divorce, defended fellow students with disabilities when they were bullied, and delivered meals and sleeping bags to homeless people in Milan. At the age of just 15, the boy died in 2006 from leukemia, cancer of the white blood cells.
Also Read: Pope Francis pleads for peace for warring nations
Canonization
To qualify for canonization, the Vatican must assign two miracles to a deceased person. In the Catholic Church, people can pray to someone who is in heaven, according to what they believe. They then ask them to talk to God and, for example, to heal someone from an illness or injury.
If the person in question unexpectedly recovers, this may be considered a miracle by the Vatican. If two miracles are attributed to a deceased person and approved by the Pope, he or she is eligible for sainthood.
Also read: The death of the American soldier who set his body on fire in front of the Israeli embassy
