After dying from leukemia at age 15, a British-born 'computer genius' is on his way to sainthood after he was beatified by the Catholic church in a ceremony held in Italy.
Born in London in 1991, Carlo Acutis, became a devout catholic at a young age despite being born to parents who are non-practicing Christians. His parents were Italian, and they moved to Milan when he was still a child.
At the age of 11, Acutis started using his talents in Information Technology in his practice of religion by documenting miracles in websites that he created. The computer whizz died in 2006 after succumbing to leukemia.
On Saturday, Acutis was honored in a beatification ceremony, which was held at the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Assisi, Italy, CNN reported.
As decreed by the Catholic church Sovereign, Pope Francis, Acutis' beatification is an acknowledgment that he has performed one miracle. The church acknowledges the said miracle as the healing of a Brazilian boy cured of his pancreatic disorder back in 2013.
The 7-year-old Brazilian boy is said to have prayed to Acutis and came in contact with a piece of his t-shirt, which is now considered a relic before he was healed from his illness.
Moreover, the beatification is an acknowledgment that Acutis has already entered heaven and that those who pray to him may be saved, The Independent reported.
He will now be known as 'Blessed ' Carlo Acutis.
Meanwhile, Acutis has already been given the nickname as 'Patron Saint of the Internet.' The "Blessed" is now only one miracle away from being named a saint by the Catholic church. Although, in the past, several Popes have also waved the need for a second miracle to consider a blessed for sainthood.
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According to Daily Mail, in light of the ceremony, thousands of devout Catholics traveled to Assisi to witness the ceremony. The faithful could see the procession through the town where a relic of Acutis' heart was shown as his parents Antonia and Andrea followed behind.
In addition, the preserved body of the Blessed Carlo Acutis was also put on display at the Basilica enclosed in a glass case. It was also noted that young Acutis asked to be buried in the Basilica since he had adored St. Francis of Assisi due to his practices with the poor.
The beatification of Acutis has made him the first millennial to be beatified as 'Blessed.' However, it was noted that he is not the youngest to be named as such.
Back in 2017, Pope Francis also beatified two Portuguese children aged nine and 10, who both died during the Spanish Influenza pandemic in 1917. The children claimed to have seen a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2019, both children were named as saints.
Meanwhile, Acutis' mother also attributed her renewed faith with her son's devotion to the church. Antonia stated that she had fallen out of contact with the church and her son helped her back.
It was also acknowledged during the ceremony how Acutis, as a young boy, used his knowledge of the internet to spread the Gospel and serve the word of the Lord.
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