More results...
Han Hak-ja, aged 82, is detained after Seoul court hearing over claims she told church officials to bribe wife of then president Yoon Suk YeolThe 82-year-old leader of the Unification Church was arrested in South Korea early Tuesday as investigators pr…
Arun Arora, bishop of Kirkstall, says Christians should not be ‘neutral in the face of violence and injustice’A Church of England bishop has called on Christians to reclaim the flag and their faith from rightwing activists, saying both were being desec…
God As My Witness shares survivors’ stories and exposes church cover-ups as it returns to the scandal’s epicenterA film examining the Catholic clergy molestation crisis in New Orleans recently won the prize for best documentary at Colorado’s Winter Par…
Pastor and social activist said nation must be challenged to get rid of ‘using religion as a cover for injustice’Rev William Barber, a left-leaning pastor and social activist, has condemned last week’s “brutal, ugly” murder of Charlie Kirk while callin…
Pope Leo criticises executive pay packages and talks about gap between rich and poor, in his first media interviewPope Leo said “we’re in big trouble” when it comes to the ever-widening pay gap between the rich and poor, citing Elon Musk, who may be on…
Iranians across the country are celebrating the birthday anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Wednesday with public gatherings, ceremonies, and cultural events, highlighting the occasion as a symbol of unity among Muslims.
Church borrows $50m to increase amount it can guarantee in attempt to appease a sizable bloc of clergy abuse victimsJust as the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans was beginning to ask victims of clergy sexual abuse to approve a settlement plan t…
Ken Paxton, who is running for US Senate, is urging schools to say the Lord’s Prayer as a Republican law goes into effectKen Paxton, the Texas attorney general running for US Senate, has long believed in school prayer. Now, he’s prescribing precisely w…
London-born Italian, who died in 2006, built websites to spread Catholic teaching and is credited with two miraclesA London-born Italian teenage computer whiz who died in 2006 age 15, has been declared the Catholic church’s first millennial saint durin…
A BRIT teenager dubbed “God’s influencer” who died aged 15 has become the first millennial saint after performing a slew of miracles.
London-born Carlo Acutis, who died from leukaemia in 2006, was canonised in a highly-anticipated ceremony led by Pope Leo in front of tens of thousands of worshippers.
Carlo Acutis has been canonised as the first ever millennial saint[/caption]
The London-born miracle-performer died aged 15 in 2006[/caption]
Flocks of Catholics gathered for the historic ceremony[/caption]
Tens of thousands of people gathered for the ceremony on Sunday[/caption]
It marked Pope Leo’s first canonisation ceremony[/caption]
Carlo’s canonisation was approved by Pope Francis last year after a second miracle attributed to Carlo was approved by the Vatican.
His much-awaited canonisation on Sunday now puts him in the same ranks as Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi.
The awe-inspiring open-air Mass in St. Peters Square was attended by tens of thousands of devotees from around the world.
In the first saint-making Mass of his pontificate, Leo also canonised another popular Italian figure who died young, Pier Giorgio Frassati.
A total of 36 cardinals, 270 bishops and hundreds of priests attended the historic celebration.
The teenage tech whiz and Italian national drew the attention of Catholics across the globe after learning to code websites and spreading his faith.
He was set to be given a catholic sainthood on April 27, 2025, by Francis.
The complicated canonisation process involves a candidate being named a servant of God, their life being proved as a heroic virtue, the candidate being beatified and then finally being canonised as a Saint.
However, the Vatican said it has postponed the sainthood of Carlo, whose body has been perfectly preserved after he died as a teenager, following the tragic death of Pope Francis.
The former Pope had fervently pushed Carlo’s sainthood case forward – convinced that the church needed someone like him to attract young Catholics to the faith.
Pope Francis had also been very impressed by Carlo’s ability to connect with new-gen Catholics in the digital age.
St. Peter’s Square was already packed with pilgrims brimming with excitement hours before the start of the holy event.
Pope Leo told pious crowds that both Carlo and Pier Giorgio were examples of holiness, and of helping those in need.
The pontiff told spilling crowds in the Vatican: “All of you, all of us together, are called to be saints.”
One god-fearing Catholic attending the ceremony told Reuters: “We are very pleased to be here because Carlo and Pier Giorgio are two examples of young people full of God, full of grace, and we want to follow their steps.”
Being made a saint means the Church believes a person lived a holy life and is now in Heaven with God.
Tens of thousands of young Catholics from around the globe attended[/caption]
Spilling crowds lined up to get a glimpse of the event[/caption]
Pope Leo spoke to the masses in St. Peter’s Square[/caption]
Bishops attended the jaw-dropping event[/caption]
Italian boy Carlos, who was born in London, was credited with many miracles, including healing a six-year-old boy who inexplicably recovered from a rare pancreatic condition after touching a relic of Acutis.
He lived an all-too-short life of devout religious work and also created a website to document every reported Eucharistic miracle.
The boy also regularly provided care and support to the homeless in his native Milan.
The Brit-born teen requested to be buried in Assisi before his death, having become an admirer of St. Francis of Assisi because of his dedication to the poor.
His body lies encased in a wax layer which is moulded to look like his body before his burial.
by Harvey Geh
SAINT Carlo Acutis performed a slew of miracles – some of which were recognised by the Vatican.
In 2020, a young Brazilian boy born with a rare pancreatic condition was healed after touching a relic of Carlo and receiving prayers for his intercession.
Mattheus Vianna, who was six years old, touched a picture of Carlo at a Mass held on the anniversary of Carlo’s death, October 12, asked to “stop vomiting so much” – before he was instantly healed.
In 2022 a Costa Rican university student named Valeria Valverde suffered a severe head injury with brain hemorrhage.
She became critically ill and had to undergo surgery.
Her mum prayed at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi, and Valeria began breathing on her own the same day, later recovering fully with no medical explanation.
Carlo’s mum also told Italian media that one woman who had been diagnosed with breast cancer prayed to her holy son – before being completely healed without the help of chemotherapy.
The teenage saint spent years building a website documenting Eucharistic miracles before his tragic death.
The teenage saint is clad in a tracksuit and sneakers and has been on display for veneration in the sanctuary for more than five years.
His heart is also on display in a reliquary in the nearby St. Francis Basilica.
After being laid to rest in 2019, his holy legacy lived on – and in 2020, the miracle in which he healed a six-year-old boy attributed to his intervention was recognised by the Vatican.
In October that year, he was given the title “Blessed”, which means to be beatified.
This came after a second miracle attributed to Carlo was aprooved by the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV leading the holy Mass on Sunday[/caption]
Carlo’s body on display pictured on Sunday[/caption]
Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for the canonisation of Carlo and Pier Giorgio[/caption]
This miracle saw the teen’s spirit responsible for saving the life of a young Costa Rican woman who suffered severe head trauma after falling from her bicycle in Florence in 2022.
The woman required intense surgery, but after her desperate mother made the pilgrimage to Carlo’s tomb, her daughter suddenly started moving and regaining speech just days later.
CAT scans on the recovering woman, named Valeria Valverde, then showed that her haemorrhage had disappeared.
The mother and daughter then both made the pilgrimage to Assisi one month later after making a speedy recovery.
by Lydia Doyle