The Vatican said the canonization of the first saint of the millennium, Carlo Acutis, has been postponed due to the death of Pope Francis.
The ceremony was due to take place in St Peter's Square next Sunday as part of a jubilee celebration for young people.
For months before the expected canonization, the faithful gathered in Assisi, where his body lay, dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers.
He was 15 years old when he died in 2006 in northern Italy after a short illness caused by leukemia.
The process of his canonization, initiated by a group of priests and friends, began more than a decade ago and officially launched shortly after Pope Francis took office in 2013.
In 2018, Acutis was given the title “venerable” after the church recognized his virtuous life, and his body was transferred to a sanctuary at the Santuario della Spogliazione in Assisi, an important site associated with the life of St. Francis.
In 2020, he was given the title “Blessed” after the Vatican's dicastery for sainthood processes confirmed a miraculous healing through Acutis's intercession, in which a child in Brazil recovered in a “scientifically inexplicable” way.
Last year, the Church opened the door to sainthood for him by attributing a second miracle – the complete healing of a Costa Rican student in Italy from a serious head injury sustained in a bicycle accident, following her mother's prayer at Acutis' tomb.
Acutis used his computer skills to create an online exhibit highlighting more than 100 Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church over the centuries, with an emphasis on the real presence of Christ that Catholics believe exists in the consecrated bread and wine. He also taught catechism and worked with the homeless.
A Mass for young people, expected to draw tens of thousands of worshippers, will take place.
The event is part of the annual Holy Year celebrations begun by Francis in December, which the Vatican says will continue, albeit with modifications.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
