CARLO ACUTIS TO BE SAINTED
A British-born teenager who died at the age of 15 from leukaemia is set to become a saint.
Carlo Acutis’s body was moved to Assisi in Italy after he was entombed in Santa Maria Maggiore church. The process involves a wax mould of the person’s likeness placed over their body.
In the casket currently on display, Acutis’s body is still wearing his blue tracksuit top, jeans and trainers.
What led to him becoming a saint? Two events were recently confirmed as miracles by the Vatican. The first was a seven-year-old Brazilian boy who recovered from a rare pancreatic disorder after touching one of Acutis’s T-shirts.
The second miracle was a 21-year-old woman from Costa Rica who made a recovery after she endured head trauma from a very serious bicycle accident. The woman’s mother prayed for her daughter’s recovery while next to Acutis’s tomb.
The official canonisation ceremony, which will lead to Acutis becoming a saint, will take place on 27 April. Thousands of people are expected to attend the event.
Vatican officials are hoping Pope Francis will preside. The pope is currently recovering from pneumonia.
The Guardian reports that out of 912 people canonised by Pope Francis, the most recent birth date was previously 1926
Image credit: Salt And Light