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Vatican City, 8 September 2025.- On Sunday, September 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis, a British teenager nicknamed « God's Influencer ». A computer enthusiast, he used the Internet to evangelize before dying of leukemia in 2006, at the age of 15. He thus became the first saint of generation Z and the first canonized who had lived in the 21st century.
The ceremony, the first canonization of the pontificate of Leo XIV, was held in St Peter's Square, in the presence of 70,000 faithful. Carlo Acutis is known for two miracles, including the healing of a Brazilian child.
In his tribute, a large hanging depicting the teenager, dressed in a red polo and carrying a backpack, was deployed on the facade of St. Peter's Basilica.
Among the equally honored figures were Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Turinese from the bourgeoisie, who died in 1925 at the age of 24 as a result of poliomyelitis. Named « God's mountaineer »He was known for his passion for the mountain and his commitment to the poorest.
In his homily, Pope Leo XIV urged young people to follow the example of these models of faith: « They are a call to all of us, especially to young people: not to waste his life, but to turn it into a masterpiece. »
W.E.
