Antonia, mother of Carlo Acutis: "My son is a sign of hope for young people".Carlo Acutis. To live as an original, so as not to die as a photocopy.Saints in the 21st century?One of Pope Francis' great commitments for the beginning of the new millennium is the proposal he calls the "sanctity of the next door", that is, to recognize the saints of the neighborhood, of proximity, and to propose them to the Christian people as new models and intercessors.
This was amply stated by the Holy Father Francis on March 19, 2018 at the. Apostolic Exhortation "Gaudete et exultate". entirely dedicated to the universal call to holiness (Apostolic Constitution "Lumen Gentium" of the Second Vatican Council, n. 11).
Precisely, his interest in canonized sainthood began within days of being enthroned in the See of Peter when he promoted the canonization of the French St. Peter Faber (1506-1546), one of the most revered Jesuits in the history of the Church, companion of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the first Jesuit priest, well known as "a contemplative in action".
Canonization of a teenager
Thus Pope Francis wishes to lead Christians along paths of contemplation in all orders and circumstances of life, simply by corresponding to God's gift of holiness.
It is very interesting to read the extensive commentary prepared by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, on the exhortation ".Gaudete et exultate"published in Italian, currently being translated into Spanish by the BAC, where 23 important authors comment on the words of the Holy Father.
In this regard, we wish to recall that Carlo Acutis (London 1991-Monza 2006) will be canonized on April 27, 2025 in St. Peter's Square, as part of the special Jubilee of Children to be celebrated in Rome on those days.
Carlo Acutis as a model
The question is very logical and we advance it at the outset: What does Carlo Acutis say to the Christian people? What is an embalmed fifteen-year-old Italian boy dressed in his skateboard and sweatshirt a model of?
Anyone who reads the Decree of Heroic Virtues of Carlo Acutis, signed by the Holy Father on July 5, 2018, will simply conclude that he is one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church. As Benedict XVI said, he is a true champion of the faith. Undoubtedly, he has the status of the sanctity of the great saints of the 20th and 21st century.
In fact, he is called the first millennial saint because of his youth, his easygoing manner and his simple path to holiness: continuous prayer, frequent conversation with Jesus. His best friend, as he called him.
Sacramental life of an adolescent
The first communion of Carlo Acutis was followed by daily mass and communion, "his highway daily for heaven", for it was from the embrace of communion that her simple path to holiness began; complicity with Jesus Christ.
Frequent confession, attending parish catechesis, his times of prayer and, above all, his regular and simple presence of God as he lived his daily life. A spiritual life in an everyday life like that of an Italian adolescent of his time.
The death of Carlo Acutis took place with the same simplicity with which he had lived, for as soon as the very serious leukemia he was suffering from was detected, he was admitted to the hospital in Monza and, upon entering the clinic, Carlo himself announced to his mother that he would not leave.
Both doctors and nurses commented on the sympathy of that child who spoke to God and offered his pain for the sins of men in an effort to make reparation and atonement and who, by a grace of God, complained as much as was necessary.
On the day of the funeral, the greatest astonishment was that of his mother, who thought she knew her son's friends and acquaintances and discovered many people in the neighborhood whom Carlo greeted, entertained and brought joy to. Especially the poor and needy mourned his death, for he listened to them and attended to them with great affection and naturalness.
Evidently, the Church soon discovered that there was a desire of the Holy Spirit to propose him as a model and intercessor, because five years after his death they began to collect testimonies of fame of holiness and favors, so that the instruction of the Cause had its opening session in the diocese of Milan in 2013 with Cardinal Angelo Scola.
The process towards sanctity
The first miracle that could be documented, among all the favors and abundant graces that came from all over the world, was that of a Brazilian boy with a problem of "annular pancreas" who was constantly vomiting and who asked God through the intercession of the Servant of God, by touching his relic, to stop vomiting immediately. This happened immediately. A few days later he was completely cured.
The decree on that miracle was signed by Pope Francis on February 21, 2020 and a few months later, the pontifical legate of Pope Francis, Cardinal Vallini, proceeded to the beatification in the Basilica of St. Francis Assisi, on October 10, 2020. The relic that was handed over on the day of the beatification and that is kept in Assisi is the heart of the young Acutis.
A few years later, the second miracle was documented: a serious head injury caused by a bicycle accident of a 21-year-old Costa Rican girl, Valeria Valverde, who was studying at the University of Florence. The intercession of Carlo Acutis before God meant that not only did she regain consciousness but all her organs were restored so that she could lead a normal life. Pope Francis had the joy of signing that miracle on May 23, 2024 and announcing the canonization in St. Peter's Square for April 27, 2025. Two films have been produced that are worth watching, as they bring us closer to the figure of this young saint of the Catholic Church, the first millennial saint of our time.
