The canonization of Carlo Acutis, the young Italian known as the ‘Cyber Apostle of the Eucharist’, was possible thanks to the verification of two miracles attributed to his intercession. The first, which occurred in Brazil, allowed his beatification in 2020; the second, in Costa Rica, paved the way for his declaration as a saint, approved by Pope Francis in 2024. It is important to emphasize that, according to Catholic doctrine, miracles are the work of God, and the Church only recognizes the intercession of the saints as mediation.
The miracle that made him blessed
The first recognized miracle occurred on October 12, 2010, in the chapel of Our Lady Aparecida in Campo Grande, Brazil, four years after Carlo’s death. A boy named Matheus, who suffered from a congenital malformation known as annular pancreas, approached to kiss a relic of Acutis and asked him to ‘stop vomiting’, as his grandfather suggested. According to Father Marcelo Tenorio, vice-postulator of the cause, the disease caused constant vomiting that severely weakened the child. From that day on, the symptoms disappeared, and medical tests confirmed a complete and inexplicable cure.
The miracle that made him a saint
The second miracle dates back to July 8, 2022, when a Costa Rican woman named Liliana traveled to Assisi, Italy, to pray before the tomb of Carlo Acutis for her daughter Valeria, who had suffered severe head trauma after an accident on July 2. Doctors had indicated that her chance of survival was almost nil and that she required a craniotomy to relieve brain pressure. That same day, the hospital reported that Valeria had spontaneously regained breathing; the next day she began to move and speak partially. Sixteen days later, a CT scan showed that the hemorrhage had disappeared, and on August 11 she was transferred to rehabilitation therapy. A week later, Valeria left the hospital almost fully recovered.
Status of ecclesial recognition
The Church distinguishes between devotion, testimony, and official recognition. Devotion to Carlo Acutis has spread among the faithful, and his testimony of life is valued for his love of the Eucharist and his use of technology to evangelize. However, canonization required a rigorous process of verification of the miracles, which were examined by doctors and theologians. Pope Francis approved the second miracle in 2024, which allowed the date of canonization to be set. It is important to clarify that the Church does not attribute miracles to the person of the saint, but to his intercession before God.
Context and relevance
Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 and died in Monza, Italy, in 2006, at the age of 15, a victim of leukemia. From childhood, he showed great interest in the Catholic faith and in computing, creating a virtual exhibition on eucharistic miracles around the world. His fame for holiness spread quickly, and his tomb in Assisi has become a place of pilgrimage. The relationship of the miracles with his eucharistic spirituality is evident: in both cases, the healings occurred after an act of prayer and contact with relics or his tomb, which reinforces devotion to his intercession. His canonization, scheduled for the Jubilee of 2025, makes him a model for young Catholics in the digital age.
Original source: desdelafe.mx (published on August 2, 2026)
