{"id":37400,"date":"2024-08-22T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T11:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=37400"},"modified":"2024-09-14T03:03:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T03:03:29","slug":"italian-teenager-carlo-acutis-upcoming-canonization-reflects-the-vaticans-desire-to-appeal-to-a-new-generation-of-catholics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/italian-teenager-carlo-acutis-upcoming-canonization-reflects-the-vaticans-desire-to-appeal-to-a-new-generation-of-catholics\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian teenager Carlo Acutis\u2019 upcoming canonization reflects the Vatican\u2019s desire to appeal to a new generation of Catholics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael A. Di Giovine<\/a>, West Chester University of Pennsylvania<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 of a rare form of leukemia at age 15, will soon become the Catholic Church\u2019s first \u201cmillennial saint<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acutis was a computer programmer who created virtual exhibitions and databases on Eucharistic miracles<\/a> \u2013 when the bread and wine are believed to change into the physical body and blood of Jesus \u2013 and the reported sightings of the Virgin Mary<\/a>. Although the specific date has not been announced, the Vatican indicated that his canonization will occur in 2025 when the church celebrates its jubilee, or holy year that occurs every quarter century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canonization<\/a> is the official term for declaring a person a saint. It requires the verification of a faithful life through an often lengthy research process. This includes confirming two miracles. Acutis\u2019 first miracle<\/a> was attributed to a Brazilian child who could not eat solid food because of a pancreatic disorder, but was inexplicably healed in 2013 after praying to the teenager. The second involved a Costa Rican student who, after suffering a head injury, awoke from her coma after her mother prayed at Acutis\u2019 shrine<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Described by the bishop of Assisi<\/a> as an \u201cordinary\u201d teenager with extraordinary faith, Acutis\u2019 upcoming canonization reflects the Vatican\u2019s interest in making a more modern church that appeals to a new generation of faithful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a trend that began at the turn of the millennium with another charismatic saint, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina \u2013 one of the world\u2019s most prayed-to saints<\/a> \u2013 whose devotion I\u2019ve studied<\/a> for over a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Pietrelcina, Italy, in 1887 and originally named Francesco Forgione, the Capuchin Franciscan priest was hailed by the Vatican as a \u201csaint for the millennium<\/a>\u201d when he was canonized in 2002. Pio was arguably the first saint of the 21st century to speak to the culture of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Padre Pio: Living saint of the 20th century<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A poor friar, Pio was believed to have had the stigmata, or bleeding wounds of Jesus\u2019 crucifixion. Considered a living saint<\/a>, he reportedly had mystical visions of Jesus and could know beforehand what people came to confess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his lifetime, Pio used devotees\u2019 donations to set up a research hospital at the shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, to couple medical healing with spiritual healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he died in 1968, the Italian air force dropped flowers on his funeral procession attended by an estimated 100,000 people<\/a>, and his 2002 canonization ceremony had a record 300,000 attendees<\/a>. His extraordinary veneration in 2008-2009 drew upward of 9 million<\/a> pilgrims to the town of San Giovanni Rotondo. That year, he was exhumed and exhibited before being moved into a new ultramodern basilica designed by globally recognized architect Renzo Piano and adorned with work from leading contemporary artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Children touch the tomb of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, in 2018. Michael A. Di Giovine, CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, Pope Francis brought his body to Rome to be the centerpiece for his special Jubilee Year of Mercy<\/a>. Tens of thousands watched his procession<\/a> through the city of Rome to the Vatican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pio\u2019s \u201crock star<\/a>\u201d popularity was \u2013 and continues to be \u2013 fueled by global media<\/a> that includes over five multilingual magazines, a publishing house, a radio station, a satellite TV station and a website, which together net the shrine over US$150 million per year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such modern media was rare for the turn-of-the-millennium, but were considered necessary for circulating photos and videos of his stigmata<\/a>, something people had to see to believe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acutis: An everyday saint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yet as Pio\u2019s devotees get older, the church seems to be turning to Acutis to appeal to a new, more worldly demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The body of Carlo Acutis, dressed in jeans and Nike sneakers, lying in his modern tomb, Church of the Spoliation, Assisi, June 2024. Michael Di Giovine, CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like Pio, Acutis enjoys widespread appeal among a new generation in search of contemporary models of holiness, according to journalist Rhina Guidos<\/a>, who interviewed Latin American teens in 2023. The appeal of Acutis lies in being an ordinary person who models everyday faith \u2013 whom Pope Francis calls a \u201csaint next door<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sets Acutis apart from other saints is that \u201cnone of these individuals thus far have used cell phones, played PlayStation videogames, or searched for information on Google,\u201d writes the Rev. Will Conquer in his biography, \u201cA Millennial in Paradise<\/a>.\u201d Indeed, the media is already lauding Acutis as \u201cGod\u2019s influencer<\/a>\u201d and the \u201cpatron saint of the Internet<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January 2024, Pope Francis urged young people<\/a> to use their modern, everyday interests for the church as Acutis did: \u201cSince he was very good at getting around on the internet, he used it in the service of the Gospel, spreading love for prayer, the witness of faith and charity toward others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story is also marketed through media the new generation uses, especially TikTok<\/a>, Instagram and YouTube. His biographies take the form of comics<\/a> or young adult novels. Biographies with titles such as \u201cA Saint in Sneakers<\/a>\u201d and \u201cGod\u2019s Computer Genius<\/a>\u201d mix stories of his holiness with discussions of his love of Nutella and struggle with weight, his interest in soccer, hiking and searching for information on Google, and his passion for Pok\u00e9mon and Halo video games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His online exhibitions also have gotten an old-school makeover: A physical version has been created and is exhibited in parishes throughout Europe and the U.S.<\/a> \u2013 a way to bridge younger and older generations. Located in Pennsylvania, the Malvern Retreat House<\/a>, one of the oldest and largest spiritual centers in the U.S., boasts a permanent exhibition of Acutis\u2019 Eucharistic miracles in its Blessed Carlo Acutis Shrine and Center for Eucharistic Encounter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A modern pilgrimage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On his deathbed, Acutis asked to be buried in Assisi, Italy \u2013 the birthplace of St. Francis, the founder of the Franciscan religious order and the patron saint of Italy, since he was attracted to his teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acutis was first buried in a cemetery in Assisi, but once his canonization process opened in 2019, his body was exhumed and dressed in jeans and sneakers; it was placed in a modern, see-through sarcophagus in the small church of the Sanctuary of the Spoliation in a little-visited area of the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That next year, 2020, over 117,000 pilgrims visited despite COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to the Diocese of Assisi<\/a>. It continues to be popular; when I visited in June 2024, long lines of people, especially children, from as far away as the United States and Sri Lanka were lining up for a chance to pray at his tomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Visitors from around the world visiting the tomb of Carlo Acutis in Assisi in June 2024. Michael A. Di Giovine, CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, the town of Assisi has enjoyed a makeover of sorts, thanks to Acutis. A modern chapel holding Acutis\u2019 heart was created in Assisi\u2019s cathedral, San Ruffino. He is given equal billing as St. Francis in guided tours<\/a>. Even souvenir stands incorporate a modern look, as ubiquitous images of St. Francis now share space with key chains, photos and pictures of Acutis in jeans, Adidas and a backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acutis is continuing the trend started by the Catholic Church with Padre Pio\u2019s sainthood to modernize devotion. As a perpetual \u201cteenager in heaven<\/a>,\u201d laid to rest in Nikes, jeans and a warmup jacket, a tech-savvy and socially conscious generation of young Catholics may very well see themselves in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael A. Di Giovine<\/a>, Professor of Anthropology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael A. Di Giovine, West Chester University of Pennsylvania The Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 of a rare form of leukemia at age 15, will soon become the Catholic Church\u2019s first \u201cmillennial saint.\u201d Acutis was a computer programmer who created virtual exhibitions and databases on Eucharistic miracles \u2013 when the bread and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":37401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[293,5,7,10,38,9],"tags":[2522,885,891,886,860,15581,3655],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37402,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37400\/revisions\/37402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}