Carlo Acutis: A young millennial turned saint

Monday, September 11, 2023

Jose Antonio Varela Vidal

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During a brief meeting I had in Madrid with Carlo Acutis' mother, Antonia Salzano, when she presented a book she had authored, I was able to confirm that, even today, it is possible to educate our children to live as authentic Christians.

She was determined to instill in Carlo values and virtues that were essential, a conviction that has led her to stress the importance of Christian education in modern families.

The attraction of this young Italian man, who was born in 1991 and died in 2006, lies in his testimony of love for Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist from a very early age. In addition, he is admired for his resolve to put new technologies, such as the then incipient internet, at the service of evangelization and the apostolate of the Church, which has led him to be recognized as the "Apostle of the Millennials" and the "Influencer of God."

Forming a saint

The first thing that crossed my mind was to ask Salzano about the importance of Carlo's parents in the awakening of his Christian life. Almost offhand, she confided something: "My husband and I had coherent values. Parents should have them and be consistent with their children. My husband and I shared values such as friendship, generosity, justice, truth, charity. Everyone can have them, but when someone has a goal like heaven and they have God in their heart, it leads them to live it."

Her Italian eyes lit up and her limited Spanish became sharper — although the loving language is the same when it comes from a mother — to advise us that "we should not only watch television, but we should always talk to our children about the life of Jesus and the saints, and make them see that there is a different life, that there are special people, that it is important to think of others and not only of ourselves, to come out of our selfishness."

Materialism that kills

We always wonder why parents spoil their children so much with needless material things, yet prevent them from accessing additional knowledge and experiences, as well as having a better outlook on life, such as solidarity, service, companionship with the elderly, among other unique and irreplaceable human and Christian life lessons.

Being in the presence of the mother of a teenager who achieved sainthood, we could not avoid that same concern, and she was emphatic: "Materialism is a feeling of having security, because we are very insecure. The well-known brand is the one that gives us security, or the iPhone, because everyone has it. Parents make many sacrifices so the kids can have the latest iPhone; if they do not have it, they get frustrated, and it is a tragedy. I feel great if I get a 'like' on Facebook, and I get upset if I do not get it. That is the uncertainty of today. I look for validation from others, but what I should be looking for is for God to validate me, not the others."

As we realized with sadness how the brief meeting with Salzano was coming to an end, we tried to prolong it, even with a final question, and we asked her if it was really possible to modify our environment when it has been emptied of God.

She bid us farewell with an answer that can only be offered by one who has closely perceived holiness in someone, and who seeks more...

"Nowadays it is difficult to educate them because both parents work, while the children sit in front of the television, with the internet and existing dangers, such as pornography, alcohol and drugs. It is very dangerous today. In the past, mothers were at home and took care of their children. Now, it is very difficult. But to great evils, great remedies, and some of these are the sacraments, as well as praying the rosary together to contemplate the life of Jesus with Mary. We also have to read sacred Scripture, because it is the Spirit that converts, forms and transforms us."

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us.

This blog was first published as a column in the August 2023 edition of La Voz Católica.