The ancient city of Assisi witnessed a historic moment as the Holy See’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presided over the first liturgical celebration of Saint Carlo Acutis on his newly established feast day of Oct. 12.
The Mass was held in the Church of the Renunciation, where the body of the Millennial new saint rests. Carlo’s parents Antonia Salzano and Andrea Acutis were in attendance, watching as their son was publicly honored as a new saint of the Church for the first time in the liturgy.
In Cardinal Parolin’s homily, he called Carlo “a new pearl for this city of saints and a great gift to the Church,” expressing the hope that “his witness bear fruit with many fruits of holiness among young people.”
Drawing from the readings chosen for the memorial, Cardinal Parolin said the words of St. Paul to the Philippians “almost capture Carlo and his spirituality,” and noted that the young saint helps today’s faithful understand the Gospel “with the example of his life.”
Cardinal Parolin highlighted joy as a defining mark of Christian life, recalling that Paul repeats twice: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” This joy, the cardinal said, was visible in Carlo, whom many remember for his jubilant presence and ability to make others smile.
“His mother Antonia has often said that what she misses most are his frequent bursts of good humor,” Cardinal Parolin said, noting that Carlo “speaks of Jesus first of all with his radiant, sunny, and smiling face.”
The secretary of state also warned that sad and resentful Christians “are not good witnesses to the Gospel,” especially in an age marked by wars and suffering, and reminded the faithful of another teaching from Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
Cardinal Parolin then turned to Carlo’s example of living holiness in the midst of ordinary life. “His life marked by normality makes him a boy of our time: he loved all the beautiful things in life,” the cardinal said, quoting Paul’s exhortation to think about “whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and honorable.”
In Carlo, he added, one finds a “master of beauty and goodness,” because he enjoyed the world “with a pure heart,” keeping Jesus at the center of everything. Carlo’s guiding program, Cardinal Parolin recalled, was simple: “to always be united with Jesus.”
Referring to Carlo’s famous line that “we are all born originals and die photocopies,” Parolin said the young saint refused to conform to fleeting fashions because he was “filled with the Lord Jesus.”
From that fullness came his conviction about the Eucharist, which he once described as a “highway free from tolls, traffic jams, and accidents.”
Since his canonization on Sept. 7, thousands have flocked to Assisi and to his relics around the world, drawn by what Cardinal Parolin described as Carlo’s unexpected evangelical influence.
“Carlo is a great influencer. As some say, God’s influencer,” the cardinal said, pointing out how the teenager continues to lead people toward holiness with the same simplicity that marked his short life.
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