Catholic church attendance has declined significantly over the last 100 years, particularly since the 1960s in Western countries, with a dramatic drop in weekly Mass attendance from about 55% to 20% in some areas since 1970. This decline is attributed to factors including the sexual abuse scandals, a perceived decline in clerical holiness and family values, and a secularization of culture.
What better way to revive falling numbers than to ‘create’ a new, young, cool saint. Here’s how it works – [taken from the internet]:
How someone becomes a saint
The process of becoming a saint is lengthy and involves several stages:
- Servant of God:An investigation is opened into a person’s life at the diocesan level, at least five years after their death. If accepted, the candidate is called a “Servant of God”.
- Venerable:If the investigation determines the individual lived a life of “heroic virtue,” the Pope approves a decree declaring them “Venerable”.
- Blessed (Beatification):For non-martyrs, one verified miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession after death is required. Martyrs can be beatified without a miracle. The candidate is then given the title “Blessed”.
- Saint (Canonization):A second miracle (for non-martyrs) is generally needed after beatification. A final canonical investigation and a special Mass with the Pope declare the person a saint for universal veneration. The Pope can waive some requirements, such as a second miracle.
And so we come to Carlo Acutis, a London-born Italian teenage who died of leukaemia in 2006. Acutis was interested in computer science and became a skilful coder. He created websites for Catholic organisations, including one that listed’ Eucharistic miracles’. He became known as God’s Influencer.
Carlo’s mother stated that, “Carlo was an internet geek, but he had the temperance to use technology for good, and was not exploited by it.”
It was thus decided that the Church would look into the possibility of making him the first saint of the millennium. Carlo’s mother, Antonia Salzano, paid for the expenses of the investigation into his possible sainthood, stating that she had the financial means to do so. The process, called a “cause,” can incur significant costs, and because of her family’s wealth, she was able to bankroll the costs herself.
One does need, at least, a couple of miracles in order to become a saint……and here they are! The first miracle attributed to him was verified in early 2020 . A Brazilian boy born with a malformed pancreas was healed after praying to Acutis and receiving one of his relics . In May 2024 Pope Francis recognized a second miracle that was attributed to Acutis, which occurred after a young Costa Rican woman suffered a serious head injury while bicycling in Florence. Her mother visited Acutis’s tomb and prayed for her daughter’s healing, which began within 10 days after the mother’s pilgrimage. This paved the way for Acutis’s canonization in 2025.
A tapestry depicting an image of Saint Carlo was hung on the facade of St Peter’s Basilica. Devotion to Acutis is extended to a wide range of merchandise on sale bearing his image, including action figures, T-shirts, mobile phone stickers and handheld fans. Pope Leo, dressed in golden vestments, said before the Mass: “I’m happy to see so many young people.”………..JOB DONE!
