It’s not every day you hear about a teenager, a tech-savvy one at that, who may soon become a saint—and somehow be mysteriously linked to the current pope.

But that’s exactly the case with Carlo Acutis, a British-born teen who’s not only being considered for sainthood but also seems to have left a spiritual breadcrumb trail that leads right to Pope Leo XIV.

Meet Carlo Acutis: The First Millennial Saint in the Making

Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 to an Italian mother and a father of English-Italian descent.

His life was short—he died at the age of 15 from leukemia in 2006—but it was filled with deep faith, generosity, and an unusual devotion to the Church.

He’s been affectionately dubbed “God’s influencer”, not just for his spirituality but for using the internet to promote Christian values.

A Tech-Savvy Teen with a Holy Mission

From an early age, Carlo stood out.

He designed websites for his local parish and even created a full-blown digital exhibition on Eucharistic miracles around the world.

He limited his video game time to just one hour per day, saying, “Every minute wasted is one less minute to glorify God.”

His commitment to his faith wasn’t just internal—he showed it through actions, like cooking meals for the homeless and supporting bullied classmates.

A Hidden Link: Carlo and Pope Leo XIV

Now here’s where things get really interesting.

Father David Michael Moses, a priest from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, was digging through details about Carlo’s life and made a discovery that gave him chills.

On his podcast, he shared that Carlo had attended the Leo XIII Institute in Milan—the same Pope Leo XIII who inspired the new pope to choose the name Leo XIV.

Father Moses couldn’t contain his excitement: “He didn’t go to many schools, and yet he went to one named after Pope Leo XIII—the same Leo who inspired Pope Leo XIV. What are the odds?”

It’s a surprising overlap that has sparked intrigue and wonder among the faithful.

Carlo’s Final Offering: Suffering for the Pope and the Church

But the connection runs deeper.

Before his death, Carlo made a powerful spiritual declaration: “I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and for the Church.”

For Father Moses, this statement took on a whole new meaning in light of the current pope’s name.

“Now we have a pope whose chosen name aligns with Carlo’s high school and the pope Carlo honored in his suffering. That’s just beautiful,” he remarked.

Miracles That Paved the Way to Sainthood

Carlo’s journey to sainthood gained momentum after two miracles were attributed to his intercession.

The first, recognized in 2020, involved the healing of a Brazilian boy with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.

Then in 2024, another miracle was confirmed—a student in Florence recovered from a dangerous brain hemorrhage.

These events led to Carlo being beatified in 2020, the penultimate step before sainthood.

Pope Francis praised him as a role model for today’s youth, warning against the lure of consumerism, digital addiction, and empty pleasures—all things Carlo had navigated with discernment.

What It Takes to Become a Saint

For anyone wondering about the process, here’s a quick breakdown of the five steps to sainthood:

Five-Year Wait – A grace period following the person’s death.
Servant of God – A local bishop begins the investigation.
Heroic Virtue – The Vatican confirms the person’s life of virtue.
Beatification – A miracle is confirmed and acknowledged.
Canonization – A second miracle secures official sainthood.

Carlo has already ticked off the first four boxes.

A Mother’s Transformation Through Her Son

Interestingly, Carlo’s deep faith didn’t come from a religious household.

In fact, his mother, Antonia Salzano, admitted she had only attended Mass a few times before Carlo, at just three and a half years old, started pulling her into church.

She credits her son for her spiritual awakening, saying, “He was my savior. He taught me everything about faith.”

Carlo even engaged in religious traditions on his own—leaving flowers at shrines, honoring saints, and spending hours in quiet prayer at church.

Why Carlo Connects with the Next Generation

Antonia believes part of what makes Carlo so relatable is that he wasn’t some distant, untouchable figure.

“He was young, handsome, always smiling—and a total computer geek who loved PlayStation and Game Boy,” she told The Times.

His modern-day hobbies and youthful joy make him a saint today’s young people can actually connect with.

Where Carlo Rests and How He’s Honored

Carlo loved Assisi, the hometown of his spiritual hero St. Francis, and chose to be buried there after his death.

Today, his body is displayed at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi, where pilgrims from around the world come to honor him.

In the UK, his legacy is celebrated through the Parish of Blessed Carlo Acutis, established in 2020 in Wolverhampton and Wombourne by the Archbishop of Birmingham.

What’s Next?

Now that a second miracle has been confirmed, all signs point to Carlo’s official canonization being on the horizon—making him the first millennial saint in the Catholic Church.

Whether you’re drawn in by the miracles, the tech, or the divine coincidences, one thing’s clear: Carlo Acutis’s story is far from ordinary—and it’s just getting started.