Religious Education & Faith Life

The Canonisation of St Carlo Acutis

On the weekend the first millennial born saint was canonised, Saint Carlo Acutis. Initially Carlos Acutis was due to be canonised in May, but due to the death of Pope Francis, his canonisation date was delayed until September 7th.  Before his death at age 15, Carlos Acutis helped create websites detailing Eucharistic miracles and other church documentation. For this reason, he is known as the 'Computer programming saint". 

In the Catholic Church we believe anyone who goes to Heaven is a saint, but a canonised saint is an individual who has gone through canonisation. To be recognised as a canonised saint, an individual must go through some assessments by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, which reflects on the person's Earthly and Heavenly spirituality. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is an organisisation in the Vatican and has been in operation since 1588. 

The individual must also have two miracles attributed to them. The process can take hundreds of years.

Steps of Being Canonised

Venerable:

The first step involves a declaration by the Pope that the individual lived a life of heroic virtue.

Blessed (Beatification):

After being declared Venerable, a miracle, usually a healing, must be attributed to the individual's intercession.

Saint (Canonization):

A second miracle, verified after beatification, is required for canonisation.

Carlo, who passed away at age 15 from leukaemia, was known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and his innovative use of technology to spread the faith—especially through his work documenting Eucharistic miracles online.