ASSISI, Italy (AP) 鈥� Pilgrims have been pouring into this medieval hilltop town to venerate not only two of the Catholic Church鈥檚 and Clare, but its newest 鈥� , who will be canonized on April 27.
鈥淪t. Francis, St. Clare, of course, important saints who marked an epoch 鈥� but that鈥檚 far removed from today鈥檚 teens. Carlo is like the kids,鈥� said Maria Rosario Riccio, a mother and educator who was visiting Acutis鈥� shrine recently with a 50-strong parish youth group from southern Italy. 鈥淗e鈥檚 , who can show teens that it鈥檚 possible to love Jesus while being a regular youth.鈥�
The group lined up to enter the Santuario della Spogliazione 鈥� a somber church, also known as Santa Maria Maggiore, marking the spot where more than 800 years ago St. Francis renounced his family鈥檚 wealth. There, they prayed by the monument where Acutis鈥� body is on view, wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers.
On that Saturday, hundreds filed past 鈥� a priest and his parishioners from the Azores islands, a nun from Colombia and her Passionist sisters, a family with two teens from near Venice. Some , others took selfies or touched the protective glass in front of the seemingly sleeping young man, who died of leukemia at 15 in 2006 and is generating a devotion that astonishes even Assisi鈥檚 bishop.
鈥淚鈥檓 seeing here a volcano of grace erupting 鈥� I can鈥檛 believe my eyes,鈥� said the Rev. Domenico Sorrentino. When he became bishop two decades ago, the church next to his residence just off the main street was 鈥渇orgotten鈥� by the throngs that visited the monumental Basilica of St. Francis.
Over the last year, more than a million pilgrims paid homage to Acutis, Sorrentino said, drawn by 鈥渉is smiling way of living our faith.鈥�
The teen鈥檚 happy image, usually in a red polo shirt and carrying a backpack, is as popular in souvenir shops across town as Francis in his simple brown habit.
One store owner picked up a blessed icon the first time she went to the shrine and keeps it glued to her cash register.
鈥淚 was really curious about this new saint who attracts youth,鈥� Silvia Balducci said.
Both the church and his family describe Acutis as an exceptionally devout but otherwise regular Italian boy, who鈥檚 working miracles after his untimely death precisely by drawing youth to faith when organized religion.
鈥淐arlo wasn鈥檛 an alien, he was a normal person. But if it鈥檚 illuminated by the light of Christ, a life becomes extraordinary,鈥� his mom, Antonia Salzano Acutis, told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e always pray to the saints, and in the end, what did saints do? They opened the doors of their lives to Christ.鈥�
She quoted one of her son鈥檚 favorite phrases: 鈥溾�橢veryone is born an original, but many die photocopies.鈥�
鈥淭he saint is one who didn鈥檛 die like a photocopy, who realized that project of holiness that God established in eternity for each of us, as we all should,鈥� she said.
Not an observant Catholic herself when she had him, Acutis used to joke with her husband that their young son was 鈥渁 little Buddha鈥� because of his unselfishness, attention to others, and cheerful obedience.
He developed a precocious interest in faith, such as wanting to enter every church to 鈥渟ay hi鈥� to Jesus and Mary. Later, he started attending Mass, and praying the rosary daily 鈥� while also entertaining with jokes his friends who were less interested in religion and more into going to nightclubs with their girlfriends and smoking an occasional joint.
鈥淭his was a bit of a way of hiding his faith life, because Carlo knew that his friends couldn鈥檛 understand,鈥� his mother said. 鈥淏ut Carlo was a witness, a silent witness through the value of friendship, through the value of generosity, helping his classmates in school, defending the teens who were bullied.鈥�
Acutis often helped the homeless and was uninterested in the trappings common for a wealthy child in Milan, one of Europe鈥檚 . He asked his parents to donate to the poor what they would have spent for a second pair of sneakers for him, and insisted he wanted to teach catechism at his parish instead of going on skiing holidays at fancy resorts like his peers.
That denial of privilege is a parallel with St. Francis, to whom Acutis was so devoted that he asked to be buried in Assisi, said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, who spent most of his religious career there and heads the pontifical committee for World Children鈥檚 Day.
鈥淎nd there are more similarities with St. Francis. St. Francis left the churches and went to the squares to preach. Carlo Acutis prophetically realized that today the public squares are online, on the Web,鈥� Fortunato said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where youth are, that鈥檚 where people are, so he lives and brings the Gospel in those squares. That鈥檚 one of the reasons why he will become the patron of the Web, Internet and social media.鈥�
Particularly devout to the eucharist and wanting to share the Catholic belief that Jesus is literally present in it, Acutis created an online exhibit about miracles where the bread and wine became flesh and blood throughout the centuries. It鈥檚 been used in thousands of parishes worldwide, his mother said.
For her, his being 鈥渁 bridge to Jesus鈥� 鈥� even in his terminal illness, which he faced without complaining, certain of eternal life 鈥� is a more important legacy than any miracles or supernatural signs.
To become a saint, however, . One in Acutis鈥� canonization process was the healing of a Costa Rican student from a bicycle accident in Italy after her mother prayed to him, Sorrentino said.
Sabina Falcetta goes often to Acutis鈥� shrine from the nearby city of Perugia with a group of fellow mothers to pray for their children.
鈥淐arlo Acutis gives us peace,鈥� she said. 鈥淢ost importantly he gives us the certainty that God is a good father. And you can鈥檛 ask for more.鈥�
As she talked outside the sanctuary, a Confirmation group from Lake Garda in northern Italy was praying in a circle by a cutout of Acutis in his jeans and backpack standing by a larger-than-life monstrance.
One of the catechists, Veronica Abraham, said she had been teaching about both St. Francis and Acutis, focusing on the teen鈥檚 charity and his custom of sitting down to chat with anyone who looked lonely, 鈥渟ince even a ciao is important for those who are alone.鈥�
Her son Mario Girardi, 13, said he was really struck by the fact that Acutis 鈥� when only a couple of years older than him 鈥� 鈥渟poke with everyone, didn鈥檛 let anything bother him but helped everyone.鈥�
While he鈥檚 not considering the priesthood, Girardi does go to church every Sunday and plans to 鈥渁lways stay in this mindset鈥� 鈥� maybe even going to daily Mass.
Would he want to become a saint, too?
鈥淲ell, let鈥檚 hope. Yes, right? Never say never, who knows,鈥� the boy said, grinning.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press
