Marco Carvalho
Pope Leo XIV proclaimed, earlier this month, the first two saints of his papacy, in a historic ceremony at Saint Peter’s Square, including the first saint of the millennial generation. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, two Italian lay young men born nearly a century apart, joined the ranks of Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint Dominic Savio as saints of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy Father urged young people around the world to look to the new saints’ testimony of faith as an example. In Portugal, where Saint Carlo’s spiritual legacy is touching more and more hearts, floats bearing the image of the young Italian saint took to the streets of several parishes’ hours after the teenagers’ canonization. António Machado, a deacon who wrote one of the first ever books about Carlo Acutis in the Portuguese language, explains why the Italian teenager, who died of leukemia in 2006, became a mass phenomenon among young people. Acutis, Mr. Machado told “O Clarim”, stands out as beacon of hope and a role model for contemporary Christians.
What does the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis represent for the Catholic Church? What does it stand to gain from the anointing of the first saint of the digital age?
António Machado: This canonization is of a great importance for the Catholic Church, given modern circumstances and the current state of affairs, where everything is relativized and even banalizes. The canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis goes on to say that holiness can – and should be experienced – by everyone, regardless of age, social status or chosen state of life. In a way, this sort of message has been forgotten in the Church, hence the importance of the elevation of Carlo Acutis to sainthood: by canonizing Saint Carlo, the Church is stating that anyone can pursue holiness in an unholy world.
Along with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, Saint Carlo Acutis was the first saint to be raised to the honors of the altar by Pope Leo XIV. Is there any particular symbolism in this choice? How meaningful is for the Holy Father the canonization of these two modern-day saints?
A.M: As we all know, the canonization ceremony of Saint Carlo Acutis was originally set for April 27th, but it had to be rescheduled due to Pope Francis’ passing. Pope Leo XIV is beginning his pontificate in a very complex global context. The Holy Father, I believe, may find strength and hope in the fact that Saint Carlo Acutis and Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati are the first saints he canonizes, as they are both an inspiration for young people in the Church.
The fast-paced world we live in is experiencing a crisis of values on many levels. In these troubled times, how can we explain the fact that Saint Carlo Acutis touches so many hearts around the world? Why is this young Italian saint an example for so many youngsters around the world?
A. M: This phenomenon of popularity surrounding Saint Carlo Acutis cannot be explained other than by the simplicity and truth of Carlo’s holiness. He won over people from all over the world in a record time and he made it in an extraordinary way. I don’t recall anything alike ever before, involving a candidate for canonization. Carlo’s example is captivating because of the ordinariness of his life. He was a perfectly normal young man, well integrated in the different layers of his reality. He did nothing extraordinary. But he did the simplest, everyday things extraordinarily well. His intense devotion and his love for the Eucharist attracts, inspires and challenges young people from all over the world nowadays.
What medium- and long-term effects might the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis have on the rejuvenation of the Catholic Church? Do you believe young people are willing to follow his example of faith?
A.M: The Church experienced – and is still experiencing – a huge influx of young people as a result of Carlo’s beatification and canonization processes. I believe that we will eventually witness, in the coming years, the full effects of the colossal spiritual movement that this young saint has unleashed. Innumerable testimonies are coming to us on a daily basis from those who had been away from the Church and the Sacraments, but are now rediscovering the Word of God because of Carlo Acutis’s life. Naturally, this will have repercussions, both for the Catholic Church and all those that are being drawn by Saint Carlo’s example.
You wrote extensively about Saint Carlo Acutis. You are quite familiar with his life journey and his spiritual endeavors. He is not the first teenager to be canonized by the Church, but he is the first to be raises to the altars in a context where reality transcends the limits of the physical world. What makes Carlo Acutis’s journey both unique and exemplary?
A.M: Carlo Acutis challenges us to look for the unadulterated origins of the Gospel of Jesus, making it a way of life. This is, I believe, the biggest legacy of Saint Carlo. In our day and age, given the circumstances, it is vital and urgent to embody God’s love in a world that is so characterized by violence, selfishness and apathy. Carlo used to say that the Gospel is not an ideology, but a program for life. He lived it and embodied it in a very beautiful and passionate way.
In Portugal, you have played a significant role in promoting Saint Carlo Acutis’ example of faith. How is this young Iital talian saint seen by the Portuguese youth? Does he serve as a role model for young people seeking to navigate the complexities of the digital world?
A.M: I would say Saint Carlo Acutis is a role model not only for the Portuguese youth, but for young people from all over the world. Carlo is an example for today’s youth, because he is a saint for our times. A saint that dressed in jeans and sneakers, who played computer games and enjoyed sports, nature and animals. He was cheerful and simple and had a big heart. He is, therefore, a role model for young people and adults alike, for both the children and the elderly, in Portugal, in Macau and all over the world. In Portugal, for instance, there were expressions of joy and thanksgiving for this unique and historic moment, the moment of his canonization. But I know for sure that, throughout the world, many groups and parishes celebrated Carlo Acutis’ journey to sainthood with processions, masses and exhibitions in his honor.
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