Tragic Boy Baptised in Chelsea is Made a SAINT

A boy who was baptised in Chelsea was canonised as a saint by Pope Leo during a special Mass at The Vatican today.

Carlo Acuis, who died from leukaemia aged 15 in 2006, was immortalised as a saint in front of cardinals and bishops and thousands of worshippers from around the world at St Peter’s Square.

Acuis was baptised in 1991 at the font at the back of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic church on the Fulham Road. The font has now become something of a shrine to the newly anointed saint. A photograph of him and a two-foot plaster model of him – wearing a back-pack hiking with a mobile phone visibly showing in his jeans pocket and carrying rosary beads – stand either side of the font.

The Citizen attended mass on the Sunday morning of Acuis’ canonisation where the parish priest said a prayer to “welcome” Saint Carlo.

Members of the congregation – who appeared to be tourists – posed for photos in front of the font after the service. One group asked the priest to stand with them for a photo and one man in his 40s was seen to kiss the font in reverence.

In the foyer to the church there are two stalls that are already doing a brisk trade in a range of merchandise that has been specially made in Italy and shipped to Britain to celebrate Saint Carlo.

The BBC published some further background about Saint Carlo’s ascent, and the Daily Mail has carried a special report by David Jones, its Chief Foreign Reporter, hinting at a ‘darker’ motivation behind the Catholic church’s reasons for fast-tracking the canonisation of the world’s first “Gen Z” saint who has become known as “God’s’ Influencer”.

Whatever the reasons behind the anointment of Saint Carlo, it is clear that merchandise dedicated to his image is a smash hit at the church in Chelsea where his holy journey began. Two stalls at the entrance were full of merchandise and sales were noticeably fast.

On offer were small plastic bottles of Holy Water for £1.50 each, an assortment of rosary beads costing up to £7.50, tea light holders for £5, which come with a free tea light, tea towels, carrier bags and even two styles of eight inch plaster cast effigies of St Carlo, which cost either £43.50 or £40.90.