From ‘God’s Influencer’ to ’Machera, El Santo Ladrón’ Here’s What it Takes to Become a Modern Santo
It’s time to dust off your Santo candles and prepare the altar because the first millennial saint is here. Carlo Acutis, who used the internet to spread God’s word and increase awareness of the Catholic church, is claiming the title.
The late teen, who passed away in 2006 from leukemia at age 15, is known as the “patron saint of the internet” and “God’s influencer.” The computer genius used his skills to catalog Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions around the world on a website he designed. NPR claims he cataloged over 150 miracles, listing them in dozens of languages and making downloadable formats for people to use.
According to Vatican News, the College of Cardinals approved the canonization of Acutis and 14 others and will officially inscribe him in the List of Saints in October of this year.
A fascination for computers and the Eucharist
As noted by Britannica, Acutis was born to Italian parents in London, England, and moved to Milan, Italy, as a baby. From a young age, two things fascinated him: computers and the Eucharist. He was so taken by the Eucharist ritual that it became his passion, asking his parents to take him to the sites of eucharistic miracles and the birthplaces of saints.
And while you may think the beatified computer programmer was raised by devout Catholics—plot twist—he wasn’t.
It turns out his mother claimed she only attended mass a “few times” before her wedding day. However, this didn’t stop Acutis’ interest in Catholicism. Britannica describes the teen attended daily mass after his communion and prayed the rosary.
While he also loved computers and video games, he allegedly limited himself to playing for one hour weekly as a form of spiritual discipline and penance.
Acutis’ canonization to sainthood comes after years of blessing others
The late teen’s saintly appointment didn’t happen randomly. In fact, he’s been blessing people since his time on Earth.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, before his passing, Acutis defended schoolmates who were bullied. He also bought items for homeless people and helped elders and people with disabilities in his community.
In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church beatified him after the Vatican recognized his intersection from heaven to save the life of a Brazilian child in 2013. The official recognition came when Matheus Vianna healed after praying to Acutis and touching a piece of his clothing.
The second miracle came in May 2022. A Costa Rican girl suffering from severe head trauma after falling off a bicycle in Florence recovered when her mother prayed at the soon-to-be saint’s tomb in Assisi.
Before his sudden passing, Acutis requested to be buried in Assisi for his devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi. His body is displayed in a glass case, and he is wearing blue jeans, Nike sneakers, and a zip-up jacket.
So, what does it take to become a Santo?
If you’re thinking of filling out your application for Santo, there are a few steps you must take on Earth before your heavenly appointment.
As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops described, saints are “persons in heaven (officially canonized or not), who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their lives for others, or were martyred for the faith, and who are worthy of imitation.” Yes, start paying penance for all those times you sent mal de ojo to someone.
The official Church procedures state three steps to sainthood. First, the candidate becomes “venerable.” At this stage, they give the title to a dead person the Pope recognizes for having lived heroically or given their life.
The second step is becoming “blessed.” At this point, the person must perform at least one miracle through their intercession in addition to their heroic virtue or life offering.
Finally, the person is canonized (turned into a Saint) when performing a second miracle after beautification. Pretty simple, right?
Santos Malandros, Argentina’s First Female Saint, and other memorable mentions
While the Vatican upholds its requirements for officially canonizing saints, people worldwide are appointing their own saintly crews.
In Venezuela, Santos Malandros, or “holy thugs,” have their own altars where residents offer them ofrendas of cigarettes and beer in exchange for protection:
Meanwhile, people can visit the tomb of Julio Garavito, “El Santo del Billete de 20,000 pesos,” in Colombia. He’s the holy protector of trans people, thieves, and prostitutes.
There’s also the “Robin Hood” of Merida, Venezuela, Luis Enrique Cerrada Molina aka “Machera.” This thief turned saint became famous for distributing his stolen goods among poor people in his community. Sounds pretty saintly, no?
Finally, we couldn’t wrap it up without the most recent saint appointed by Pope Francis himself, “Mama Antula.” The Argentine is the first woman to be canonized as a saint in Argentina. The Pope callePoper a “wayfarer of the spirit.”
