Boy who died at 15 to become first millennial saint in Catholic Church: What did he do?

(NEXSTAR) – Carlos Acutis, a teenage boy who died after a battle with leukemia in 2006, is set to become the first millennial saint in the Catholic Church.

Acutis, who was 15 when he passed, was recognized by the office of the Holy See on Thursday for a second miracle — a threshold usually required by the Vatican before sainthood.

A tapestry featuring a portrait of Carlo Acutis is hang at the St. Francis Basilica during the beatification ceremony of Carlo Acutis, on October 10, 2020 in Assisi, Italy. The fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis member of the Millennial generation who died on 12 October 2006 from M3 fulminant leukemia, is considered a "computer geek" on account of his passion and skill with computers and the internet. Acutis applied himself to creating a website dedicated to cataloguing each reported Eucharistic miracle in the world. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images) — A tapestry featuring a portrait of Carlo Acutis is hang at the St. Francis Basilica during the beatification ceremony of Carlo Acutis, on October 10, 2020 in Assisi, Italy. The fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis member of the Millennial generation who died on 12 October 2006 from M3 fulminant leukemia, is considered a “computer geek” on account of his passion and skill with computers and the internet. Acutis applied himself to creating a website dedicated to cataloguing each reported Eucharistic miracle in the world. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Pope Francis will “convene a Consistory of Cardinals” to deliberate Acutis’ canonization, along with the canonization of three others, Vatican News reported.

Acutis, who was born in London in 1991 but lived in Italy, had operated a website to document Eucharistic miracles and visions of Mary from around the world, starting the project when he was 11. He was said to have a passion for the history of the church, and a thirst for knowledge that prompted his mother, who had only attended mass “three times,” to take theology classes to be able to discuss and answer Acutis’ questions, Vatican News reported.

He had also considered priesthood, his mother said, before becoming sick and dying after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia in 2016. After his body was laid to rest at a cathedral in Assisi, admirers frequently made pilgrimages to his tomb.

Acutis’s first step on the journey toward sainthood occurred in 2018, when a decree authorized by Pope Francis declared him “Venerable,” according to the Catholic News Agency. Acustis became “Blessed,” or beautified, in 2020, after a woman in Brazil claimed that praying for Acutis’ intercession cured her son of a pancreatic issue, the National Catholic Register recounted.

The second miracle attributed to Acutis took place in 2022, according to the Vatican News. This time, a mother from Costa Rica made a pilgrimage to Acutis’ tomb in Assisi, praying for her daughter’s recovery after a brain injury, the outlet reported. The girl’s reported recovery, and Acutis’ alleged intercession, was recognized as his second miracle Thursday.

News of Acutis’ possible canonization comes just days after the Vatican reformed its process for evaluating certain religious visions. Specifically, the Vatican’s new process makes it tougher for alleged events of “supernatural origin” to be authenticated, the office of the Holy See said.

The move, in part, was adopted to prevent instances of people attempting to fabricate such visions or apparitions in order to manipulate the faithful.

The new norms make clear that such an abuse of people’s faith can be punishable canonically, saying, “The use of purported supernatural experiences or recognized mystical elements as a means of or a pretext for exerting control over people or carrying out abuses is to be considered of particular moral gravity.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.