Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis on Sunday, declaring the Italian teenager who died of leukemia at 15 a saint before tens of thousands of cheering worshippers.
The Catholic Church regards Acutis as a model young Christian who dedicated his life to the service of God. Alongside him, Pier Giorgio Frassati, another Italian who died young, in 1925, was also elevated to sainthood.
For Pope Leo, the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, it is the first canonization since his election four months ago.
In Latin, he proclaimed, "We enrol the blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis in the list of saints and decree that they be venerated as saints throughout the Church." Relics of the two were then brought to the altar.
Two large portraits of the new saints were hanging on the front of St Peter's Basilica.
