(NBC News) A London-born “computer genius” who died in Italy from leukemia at 15 is one step closer to becoming a saint, now that the Vatican has attributed a miracle to him.
Carlo Acutis, who died in Milan in 2006, was credited with healing a Brazilian boy who recovered from a rare illness after praying to him, asking him to communicate with God. Carlo will be beatified in Assisi, Italy, in October this year — the final step before sainthood.
Beatification — recognition by the church that a person has entered heaven and has the capacity to intercede on behalf of those who pray in his or her name — is the final step before sainthood.
The coronavirus pandemic delayed his beatification, which will take place in the fall in Assisi, Italy, where he is buried. Once a second miracle is approved by a council of scientists, he will become the patron saint of the internet.
Using the family’s small, old computer, Carlo taught himself how to program and built a website cataloging miracles around the world.