Canonization of the first millennial saint postponed after Pope Francis’ death

Catholic church asks police to investigate sales of Saint Carlo Acutis relics online

Catholic church asks police to investigate sales of Saint Carlo Acutis relics online

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The canonization for an Italian teenager who was set to become the first millennial saint has been postponed for at least one week after the death of Pope Francis.

The 88-year-old pontiff died Monday after 12 years as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican announced that the canonization of Carlo Acutis will be next Sunday in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Jubilee celebration of adolescents. It was originally scheduled to happen on April 27, the second Sunday of Easter.

Gregorio Borgia / AP

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Born in London to wealthy Italian parents, he grew up in Milan, where he managed the website for his parish and later a Vatican-based academy. He also used his computer skills to create an online database of Eucharistic miracles around the world.

His road to sainthood started more than 10 years ago at the initiative of a group of priests and friends, and formally took off shortly after Francis began his papacy in 2013.

Acutis was named “venerable” in 2018 after the church recognized his virtuous life, and his body – wearing sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt – was taken to a shrine in the Santuario della Spogliazione in Assisi, Italy. It was a major site linked to St. Francis’ life.

TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images

The teenager was declared “blessed” or beatified — the first step toward sainthood — in 2020 after one miracle was attributed to him. In that miracle, Acutis is credited with healing a Brazilian child of a congenital disease affecting his pancreas.

A second miracle was attributed to Acutis in May 2024. It involved the healing of a university student in Florence who had a brain bleed after suffering head trauma in a bicycle accident.

Francis and the cardinals residing in Rome formally approved his canonization in July 2024.

In the months leading up to the expected canonization, the faithful have been flocking to Assisi.

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Lucia Suarez Sang is an associate managing editor at CBSNews.com. Previously, Lucia was the director of digital content at FOX61 News in Connecticut and has previously written for outlets including FoxNews.com, Fox News Latino and the Rutland Herald.

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