Vatican City – Pope Francis has announced that Carlo Acutis, an Italian millennial gamer and tech enthusiast known for his deep Catholic faith, will be canonized on April 27, 2025.
The surprise announcement came during the pope’s weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on World Children’s Day, November 20.
“Carlo reminds us that true greatness lies in our relationship with God,” Pope Francis said, inviting young people to look to Acutis as a model of faith.
Part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, the canonization will occur amid celebrations that aim to renew the faith of young people worldwide.
Born in 1991, Acutis balanced his love for computers, video games, and animals with a profound devotion to the Eucharist, which he called his “highway to heaven.”
At age 15, Acutis laid rest to leukemia, offering his suffering for the pope and the Church, saying he hoped to “go straight to heaven.”
His legacy includes a popular online exhibition on Eucharistic miracles that has inspired millions.
Beatified in 2020, Acutis is widely regarded as the first millennial to achieve this recognition. Meanwhile, his incorrupt body, which has rested in Assisi, Italy for over a decade, continues to attract thousands of pilgrims annually.
Acutis’ canonization underscores his relevance as a first-ever patron saint for millenials.