The Vatican has shared an update on the teenager dubbed "God's Influencer" following the death of Pope Francis.
Carlo Acutis, who was born in London and raised in Milan, Italy, had been scheduled to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint on April 27.
However, plans have now been put on hold as the Vatican enters a period of mourning after the death of the Pontiff, who passed away on Easter Monday (April 21) from a cerebral stroke that led to irreversible heart failure.
In a statement, the Vatican said: “Following the death of the Sovereign Pontiff Francis, we inform you that the Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis... has been postponed,” per Daily Mail.
While a new date has not yet been set, it’s standard practice for church functions, such as approving miracles or scheduling canonisation rites, to be paused until a new pope is elected.
Acutis died in 2006 at the age of 15 from leukaemia, but his short life left a lasting impression on the Catholic Church.
From a young age, the London-born teen was devout in his faith, receiving First Communion at seven, attending Mass daily, and praying the rosary. He was known for donating to the poor, feeding the homeless, and reflecting daily on how to live a sin-free life.
What made Carlo stand out was his ability to merge faith with technology. He used his computer skills to design websites promoting Catholicism and documenting Eucharistic miracles - religious phenomena involving the Holy Communion.
One such project, The Eucharistic Miracles of the World, aimed to confirm "faith in the real presence of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist.”
Carlo's impact continued after his death. The Vatican attributed two miracles to the teen, both involving inexplicable medical recoveries.
In 2020, the Church recognized a case involving a six-year-old Brazilian boy named Matheus Vianna, who had been diagnosed with a rare congenital pancreatic disorder.
After his mother prayed to Carlo and a cloth from the teen’s clothing was placed on him, the boy’s symptoms disappeared, and he began eating solid food, something he had been unable to do due to chronic vomiting.
A second miracle was confirmed in 2022. Valeria Valverde, a young woman from Costa Rica, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a bicycle accident. Her mother prayed at Carlo’s glass tomb in Assisi and left a note asking for healing.
That same day, Valeria began breathing on her own, and just ten days later was discharged from intensive care with the brain haemorrhage gone.
In May 2024, the Vatican officially recognised the second miracle, clearing the path for Carlo’s sainthood.
Until a new date is announced, devotees can visit Carlo’s preserved body, encased in a wax likeness, at his tomb in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi, Italy.
As the Catholic world now focuses on the funeral of Pope Francis, set for April 26, the ceremony for "God’s Influencer" will have to wait a little longer.