God’s Influencer Becomes a Saint, LGBTQ Pilgrims Enter Vatican, and Chicago Chefs Cook for the Pope

Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old computer prodigy known as “God’s influencer,” has been canonized in Rome as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. Also, hundreds of LGBTQ Catholics joined a historic Jubilee pilgrimage through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, marking a dramatic shift from decades past. And Pope Leo taps Chicago’s own Art Smith and Phil Stefani to launch a farm-to-table restaurant at the Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callaroga Shark Media, a fifteen year old computer programmer who
died in two thousand and six, became the Catholic Church's
first millennial saint. During a massive outdoor mass at Saint
Peter's Square, Carlo Acutis, known as God's Influencer, was canonized

(00:25):
alongside Pierre Giorgio Frasarti, another young Catholic activist from a
century ago. Born in London to wealthy Italian parents, Acutis
moved to Milan as an infant and showed exceptional computer
skills from an early age. He created multilingual websites spreading
Catholic teachings and cataloging miracles, earning his tech savvy nickname.

(00:50):
Despite his digital expertise, he limited PlayStation time to just
one hour weekly. An estimated eighty thousand people packed the
Vatican Square and surrounding streets for the ceremony, with many
young pilgrims traveling from Italy and America. The atmosphere was
described as joyful and festival like, with merchandise featuring Acutis's

(01:10):
image widely available, including action figures, phone stickers, and clothing.
The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside
of God's plan, Pope Leo said during his homily, praising
both New Saints for creating masterpieces of their lives through devotion.
Acutis died of acute leukemia in October two thousand and six,

(01:33):
just days after falling ill. His family wasn't particularly religious,
but his mother, Antonia Salzano, says Carlo displayed deep faith
from childhood, attending daily mass and helping homeless people in Milan.
Carlo was an Internet geek, but he had the temperance
to use technology for good and was not exploited by it,

(01:55):
his mother explained. She describes him as otherwise typical, enjoying
sports and friendships while showing compassion for those suffering. More
than one million visitors have flocked to Assisi to view
Acutus's preserved body, displayed in his blue tracksuit, geenes and
sneakers behind glass at Santa Maria Majori Church. His heart

(02:16):
rests in a gold container at San Rufino Cathedral. The
Vatican credits Acutis with two miracles, healing a Brazilian boy
with a rare pancreatic condition and curing a florent student's
brain bleeding after the student's mother preyed at his tomb.
His rapid path to sainthood, completed in under twenty years

(02:38):
compared to the usual lengthy process, demonstrates the Church's eagerness
to attract younger Catholics through a tech savvy role model
who understood modern digital culture. The canonization had been postponed
from earlier this year following Pope Francis's death, as the
previous pontiff had championed Acutus's cause to engage millennial believers.

(03:00):
Hundreds of LGBTQ Catholics walked through the Holy door of
Saint Peter's Basilica on Saturday as part of the Catholic
Church's Jubilee celebration, marking a significant moment of acceptance for
a community that has often felt excluded. About fourteen hundred
people from twenty two countries participated in the pilgrimage, many

(03:21):
wearing white shirts with rainbow hearts. The event represents a
dramatic shift from twenty five years ago, when Pope John
Paul second expressed bitterness about World Pride taking place in
Rome and called it an affront to Christian values. Pope
Leo did not personally meet with the LGBTQ Pilgrims, as

(03:41):
he has with some other Jubilee groups. However, Bishop Francesco Savino,
a top Italian church official, said Pope Leo gave his
blessing for the event with great tenderness and great sweetness.
During Mass at a Jesuit church, Bishop Savino told the
congregation that Jubilee was historically the time to free the

(04:02):
oppressed and restore dignity to those who had been denied it.
He added emotionally, it is time to restore dignity to everyone,
especially those who have been denied it. Receiving a standing
ovation lasting over a minute, the pilgrimage was officially listed
on the Vatican's Holy Year calendar, following years of dialogue

(04:22):
between advocacy groups and Vatican officials. While Catholic teaching still
considers homosexual acts intrinsically disordered, the late Pope Francis significantly
changed the church's tone on LGBTQ issues. His famous who
am I to judge comment in twenty thirteen and his
support for ministering to LGBTQ Catholics marked a departure from

(04:45):
previous paper approaches. Pope Leo's record on these issues remains limited.
In a twenty twelve speech, he criticized positive media portrayals
of homosexual lifestyle. However, in a twenty twenty three reinterview
after becoming cardinal, he acknowledged that times had changed and
the church needed to open and to be welcoming. Pope

(05:17):
Leo has selected two prominent Chicago food figures to open
a restaurant at a historic papal retreat outside Rome. Celebrity
chef Art Smith and restaurateur Phil Stefani will develop dining
and catering services at Borgo Laudato Sea, part of the
Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo. The Chicago native pope announced

(05:39):
the partnership Friday in Rome, though the project was actually
initiated earlier this year by a committee under the late
Pope Francis. The papal villas have served as the summer
papal residence since the seventeenth century. Since twenty twenty three,
the one hundred thirty five acre property has also functioned
as a Vatican Ecological education centre on sustainability and environmental awareness.

(06:04):
The new restaurant, currently under construction, will open next spring,
featuring farm to table Italian cuisine with global influences, including
Chicago and Peruvian touches. The site will also offer guided tours,
a marketplace, and cultural experiences within the historic estate. Chef

(06:24):
Smith said the spirit of Borgo Lao Dato Sea is
about community, sustainability and celebration. We're excited to create a
menu that honors Italian tradition while embracing flavors and influences
from around the world, including a little taste of Chicago
and Peru a nod to Pope. He did add that

(06:45):
deep dish pizza might be a little much, but didn't
rule it out.