Saints of the Next Generation, Recognizing Today's Youth in Catholic Culture

In this paper, I assess the influence of an unprecedented imminent canonization on clerical and lay sentiments towards Catholic saints, the papacy, and structural changes in Catholic culture. Carlo Acutis was a young Roman Catholic who was known for his technological literacy and dedication to recording Eucharistic miracles in a website he coded for other young Catholics to access at their fingertips. Following his death in 2006, the Church quickly moved to make Acutis a candidate for canonization, with the date set officially for April 27, 2025. Acutis and his path to canonization remains one of the most unique cases in history, with his quick path to canonization, youth, and technological skills characterizing him as the recognizable and relatable Millennial that the Catholic Church lacks amongst its role models. In order to see how this relatability interacts with the modern and young Catholic public, I have collected and will present data that measures the variation in opinions towards Acutis’s canonization and the justifications for favorability or unfavourability of the new saint. These responses will aid me in determining the real-life effects of a modern, young saint on the Catholic population, which I can then utilize to measure the effectiveness of representation in the Church and its key figures.