“All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” – Saint Carlo Acutis
“His witness shows today’s young people that true happiness is found by putting God first and serving him in our brothers, especially the least.” —Pope Francis (Angelus address Oct. 11, 2020)
On September 7, 2025, St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City was bustling with pilgrims from around the world. Spirits were high and banners were hung, one of which adorned with a photo of a smiling teen, a backpack on his shoulders, and the sun in his eyes. A regal frame surrounds him, its splendor contrasting with what appears to be a typical picture of a kid from Italy. Yet this kid from Italy was anything but typical.
Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 and displayed an early love for God. He died of leukemia in 2006 and has since been celebrated for his adoration of the Eucharist, devotion to Christ, and his use of technology to promote the Catholic faith. Carlo used his intellect and expertise in technology to share religious content, most notably on his website, Miracoli Eucaristici, which logged global Eucharistic miracles. He often revered the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven,” Carlo said. “When we face the sun, we get a tan… but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.” Two miracles are attributed to him: the healing of a Brazilian boy with a pancreatic condition in 2013, leading to his beatification, and the healing of a Costa Rican girl from a severe brain hemorrhage after a bicycle accident in 2022. The Vatican confirmed both cases as medically inexplicable, thus solidifying his sainthood and his role as the first millennial saint, canonized by Pope Leo XIV on the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Both the Catholic and the secular world have much to learn from Carlo. In the modern age, the Internet seems to be consuming, entrancing adults and teens alike in a content-driven hypnosis. It can become the root of many anxieties, and even cloud our perceptions of reality. Social media may distract us from what we love, wasting hours of our lives behind a screen and becoming blind to what truly matters. Unrestricted access to constant information is overwhelming to grapple with, yet impossible to look away from.
From this angle, the Internet appears as the root of much evil. But, in Carlo’s example, we realize that the Internet is what we make it. We all have the opportunity to take advantage of the good that technology has to offer, and in such strides, we take steps toward making cyberspace a better place. Carlo used the Internet as a setting in which he could explore his fascinations and instill hope in his community. He utilized his computer-oriented gifts to glorify God, bringing light to what might otherwise be a dreary online space. Therefore, it is up to us, as users of the Internet, to bring sincerity to our screens. The Internet is where free speech thrives—speech that has the power to change. With such authority, we must be wise and take care to ensure that our voices, whether it be in a simple TikTok post or Instagram story, are authentic.
Many may plead with you to cease your use of social media to prioritize your well-being. While lowering screen time is a noble and necessary pursuit, the Internet is largely unavoidable. Instead, I implore you to ask yourself whether or not you are doing good by hitting the post button. Ask yourself whether what you are consuming is beneficial. In the continuation of these queries, you will one day find yourself answering “yes” as Carlo would have. Shift your perspective on the Internet, and view it as a place to pursue your passions rather than a sea of meaningless information to drown in. Find meaning in your online endeavors, and remember, Carlo Acutis was once a screenager and now, a saint.
Visit Carlo’s website here: https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/list.html
