He might be within touching distance of becoming the first millennial saint - but a British-born Italian teenager dubbed 'God's Influencer' was often more prankster than 'perfect', his former teachers have fondly recalled.
Computer whiz Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15, will be raised to sainthood by Pope Leo XIV in a solemn ceremony in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.
The London-born youth's canonisation, initially set for April but postponed when Pope Francis died, will be watched by the faithful on giant screens in Assisi, a medieval city and pilgrimage site in the central region of Umbria.
During his short life, Acutis developed a passion for his Catholic faith, attended mass daily and had a reputation for kindness to bullied children and homeless people, bringing the latter food and sleeping bags.
He sadly passed away from leukaemia in October 2006, but since his death there have been two cases of miraculous healing attributed to Acutis after families prayed for help from the teenager.
