Pope Leo XIV has declared Carlo Acutis, a British-Italian teenager who died in 2006, the first millennial saint, calling him ‘God’s influencer’ during his canonisation address.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at age 15, comes as the church is trying to reach more young people, including Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Pope Leo XIV declared a 15-year-old computer whiz the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint Sunday, giving the next generation of Catholics a relatable role model who used technology to spread the faith and earn the nickname “God’s influencer.”