Young Saint Carlo Acutis: The Animal Lover. By Dr. Chapman Chen
- Chapman Chen
- Sep 8
- 2 min read
On 7 September 2025, Carlo Acutis (3 May 1991 -- 12 October 2006), a London-born Italian teenager who passed away at 15 and was known for his love of animals, was declared a saint by Pope Leo XIV in his first canonisation ceremony as pontiff.
Acutis was deeply devoted to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and nature, inspired by his example, per Ascension Team (2025) (Note 1). Per Donna Fernandes (2025) (Note 2), Carlo “really liked animals.” He would become upset when he saw anyone mistreating or harming animals, describing them as “defenceless creatures who had never harmed anyone,” per Carlo Acutis Youth Irl (2025) (Note 3). And he even used to play lifeguard in the local outdoor swimming pool to rescue any insects from drowning!
While he was not a theologian, Carlo constantly believed animals would not end up in void after they departed from this world and even sent his mother signs to show her this after he passed away which she narrates in her book My Son Carlo. At home, Carlo cared for four dogs, two cats, and several pet fish (Fernandes 2025).
Carlo was also passionate about nature, fields, flowers, creation. For Carlo, nature was a reflection of God's love for humans. This love for nature brought him closer to St. Francis of Assisi, the Saint of ecology (Fernandes 2025).
Apart from animals, St. Acutis also had compassion for humans. Per Ascension Team (2025), he would offer the poor and the needy hot home cooked meals because he understood that they also needed to have good food, not just the canned foods and grocery leftovers from food pantries.
As reported by The Guardian on Sept 7, 2025 (Note 4), Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 in London to an affluent family that was Catholic but not especially devout. The family returned to Milan shortly after his birth. Acutis created multilingual websites to promote Catholic teaching, which later earned him the title “God’s influencer.” In October 2006, at just 15, he became unwell and was swiftly diagnosed with acute leukaemia. Only a few days later, he passed away. He was laid to rest in Assisi, a place linked with his beloved saint, Francis of Assisi. His mother has said that it was around the time of his funeral that reports of miracles began, and last year Pope Francis attributed two to him. The first was the cure of a Brazilian boy suffering from a rare congenital pancreatic disorder; the second was the recovery of a student in Florence who had bleeding on the brain after head trauma, following his mother’s prayers at Acutis’s tomb in Assisi.
Carlo’s story shows that sainthood is not reserved for scholars or mystics of the past. A adolescent netizen who believed that no creature is forgotten by God, loved his pets, and cared for the needy, has now been raised to the altars. His witness invites us to see animals, nature, and our neighbours with the same eyes of compassion.
Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/young-saint-carlo-acutis-the-animal-lover-by-dr-chapman-chen
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