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Pope Francis has cleared the path for the canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a London-born 15-year-old who died from leukaemia in 2006, by recognising a second miracle attributed to him. The Pope also recognised another miracle attributed to Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, and approved the canonization of 11 martyrs in Syria.

In a decree released on Thursday 23 May, Pope Francis announced he will convene a Consistory of Cardinals to deliberate the canonisation of Blessed Carlo, as well as Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, Marie-Léonie Paradis, and Elena Guerra. Following the announcement Bishop Nicholas Hudson said:

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“It is a real answer to prayer that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be the first millennial saint – a saint our young people can really look up to. So many young Catholics have told me that they feel as though Carlo has mysteriously ‘found’ them.”

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The second miracle recognised on 23 May relates to a woman from Costa Rica, Liliana, who prayed at the beatified teenager’s tomb in Assisi after her daughter Valeria suffered severe head trauma from a bike accident and was given little chance of survival.

Having prayed for the intercession of Blessed Carlo, on the same day, the hospital informed her that Valeria had started to breathe spontaneously. The next day, she began to move and partially regained her speech. In just a few months she had made a miraculous recovery.

Bishop Hudson, who in October 2022 unveiled and blessed the Shrine of Blessed Carlo Acutis at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Covent Garden, can see why so many people – particularly young Catholics – are inspired by and pray to Blessed Carlo. He said:

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“Last year I invited his mother, Antonia, to come to London to talk to the young people of Westminster Diocese about her experience of raising Carlo and seeing the love of Christ take root in him. The church was packed and they were captivated by this young saint for our times who read Scripture every day, had a heart for social action, collecting containers full of clothes for the poor, stood up for anyone being bullied at school and visited Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every day to share with him everything that was most important to him… we thank God for this wonderful news.”

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The news that Blessed Carlo will be canonised has inspired many and has been widely covered in the secular media as well as the Catholic press, with itvX describing him as a "cyber apostle" and the BBC explaining how "As well as designing websites for his parish and school, he became known for launching a website seeking to document every reported Eucharistic miracle, which was launched days before his death. Carlo Acutis' nickname, God's influencer, has been attributed to him after his death due to this work."

The Arundel & Brighton diocesan shrine to Carlo Acutis is at St Peter’s Church, Portland Road, Hove. It is home to a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo, consisting of a few particles of his hair.

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Sources: Vatican News; CBCEW; carloacutis.com; BBC News; itvX. Thumbnail image taken at St Peter's Church in Hove from a painting by John Armstrong.