World

15-year-old boy, the new saint of the Catholic Church

An Italian teenager who loves video games will become the first saint of the new millennium after the Catholic Church canonized him.

Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, was known for using his computer skills to spread information about the Catholic faith and earned the nickname "God's Inspiration." Canonization by the Catholic Church can take decades, but the process is moving quickly. The teenager has a loyal following around the world. Often pictured in jeans and sneakers, his story is seen as applicable to the Catholic Church as it seeks to better communicate with the younger generation in the digital age, and he has become popular among Catholic youth groups.

The ecclesiastical canonization process usually requires candidates to be credited with two miracles: every alleged supernatural phenomenon requires careful investigation. In May, Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributed to Auctis, paving the way for him to be canonized.