Carlo Acutis is beatified: an influencer of God

Whe lies there, softly lit, behind a pane of glass in a sarcophagus in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi, not easy to understand with sheer common sense. According to an official description of the church, it is the body of Carlo Acutis, who was beatified by Pope Francis on Saturday at a mass celebrated by Cardinal Agostino Vallini in the magnificent Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi. Acutis had succumbed to aggressive leukemia on October 12, 2006, at the age of just 15. And now, 14 years later, in the glass coffin lies a teenager in Nike shoes, jeans and a sports jacket, as if he were sleeping and opening his eyes at any moment. The facial features are uniform. The dark hair is curly, the face slightly turned towards the viewer. A scenario that, depending on how you look at it, seems numinous or disturbing.

As they approach the coffin, most of the pilgrims, who had patiently queued in front of the church entrance, are visibly shaken. Many women cry, men look serious. The faithful touch the glass with their rosary, cross themselves and take a photo of the late Carlo with their cell phones. Before the next pilgrims arrive at the coffin, a volunteer hastily wipes the window with a disinfectant cloth. In the line in front of the church, people wear mouth and nose protection according to the regulations, but they stay together. The employees of a private security company guarantee order among those who wait, but they do not ensure that the rules of distance are respected.

Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991, where his parents worked for a few years, but he grew up in Milan. Carlos’s mother says that the boy had always believed deeply. He went to his first communion at the age of seven. He performed the service of acolyte with fervor. He was particularly drawn to Our Lady and to the celebration of the Eucharist. He donated his pocket money to his parish to benefit the homeless and refugees.

Carlo also showed great computer and programming skills. At the age of eleven he created an online directory of all Eucharistic miracles around the world, for example when a host has turned red as blood or even turned to flesh. Carlo called for regular attendance at the Eucharistic celebration, as his mother says, “my way to heaven.” After the early death of the child, the “Friends of Carlo Acutis” association created a traveling exhibition with a good 140 panels from its online directory of the wonders of wafers documented over the centuries and published a book.