Vatican City: The Catholic world continues to await news on when Blessed Carlo Acutis will officially be declared a saint, following the unexpected postponement of his canonization originally scheduled for April 27, 2025.
Acutis, the young Italian teen affectionately known as “God’s influencer,” captivated the global Church with his deep Eucharistic devotion and use of technology to spread the faith. He died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15 and was laid to rest in Assisi, reflecting his admiration for St. Francis.
Declared Venerable in 2018 and beatified in 2020, Carlo’s path to sainthood gained momentum when Pope Francis approved a second miracle attributed to his intercession on May 23, 2024. The miracle involved the miraculous recovery of 21-year-old Valeria Valverde of Costa Rica, who survived a devastating brain injury sustained in a bicycle accident — a recovery deemed medically inexplicable.
In July 2024, Pope Francis convened a consistory to confirm several canonizations, including Acutis, alongside Giuseppe Allamano, Marie-Léonie Paradis, and Elena Guerra. However, the pontiff did not announce specific dates during that gathering. It wasn’t until a general audience in November that he revealed April 27, 2025 — during the Jubilee of Teenagers — as the date of Carlo’s canonization.
The announcement sparked excitement across the globe, especially among youth, thousands of whom had planned pilgrimages to Rome for the anticipated canonization of a saint many see as a modern-day role model. But following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the Vatican confirmed that the April ceremony would be delayed.
With Pope Leo XIV now at the helm of the Church, focus has shifted to the upcoming June 13 consistory — his first — where the cardinals will approve the canonization of eight other blesseds. However, Carlo Acutis’ name is absent from this list.
Monsignor Alberto Royo, promoter of the faith at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, clarified the reason: “His canonization was already approved in the last consistory [July 1, 2024], so he is no longer part of the list being confirmed at this one.”
Royo explained that canonization dates are not voted on during a consistory. “It’s customary for the pope to announce the date during that session, but it’s not obligatory,” he said. “In Carlo’s case, Pope Francis didn’t announce the date at the consistory — it was later communicated by the Secretariat of State.”
Looking ahead, it remains possible that Pope Leo XIV may choose to announce a new date for Carlo Acutis’ canonization during the June 13 consistory, though this is not guaranteed. The Secretariat of State could also announce it separately at a later time.
The case of Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose canonization is set for August 3, further illustrates the flexibility popes have in the process. Pope Francis personally declared Frassati’s canonization before a consistory had taken place, a move described as one of his “spontaneous actions.”
For now, the faithful continue to await an official update, holding onto hope that the young digital-age disciple — whose life of prayer, simplicity, and love for the Eucharist continues to inspire — will soon be formally recognized among the saints of the Church.