Published on July 23, 2024, 1:22 am

The recent canonization of Carlo Acutis by the Roman Catholic Church has brought forth a slew of controversies and questions. Born in 1991, Acutis lived a short but devout life marked by extraordinary dedication to Catholicism before he succumbed to leukemia at the age of 15.

Posthumously declared as “God’s influencer,” his rapid betterment in 2020 is an astounding demonstration of a particular religious narrative being propagated by the Vatican. Disturbingly, bogus miracle narratives have been constructed around Acutis’ death, with tales of miraculous interventions that saved individuals on two separate instances in Brazil and Costa Rica.

Such stories, built on thin air, are crafted with the audacious intention to reinforce fictionalized narratives of sainthood that deviate significantly from biblical Christianity. However, this act raises several concerns among those who champion the reliance on trusted news based on legitimate sources and real news grounded in verifiable facts.

Acutis was certainly dedicated to his faith – a testament to which was his creation of websites cataloging supposed Eucharistic miracles worldwide. Still, designating him as a saint raises many legitimate questions about whether we are witnessing an enactment of vanity-driven religious theatre or upholding true Christian worldview values.

The Canonization process inherently subverts biblical teachings by creating intermediaries between God and devotees, giving ‘saints’ undue influence over divine matters. Assertions such as these not only challenge a Christian’s intrinsic believe in God’s sovereignty but also generate misleading ideas about human capabilities.

Furthermore, revered figures like Acutis pose a significant danger to genuine belief structures where salvation comes solely from Christ’s grace rather than works or miracles attributed to mortal beings. Stories spun around saints performing miracles accentuate misconceptions about man’s ability to counsel or influence God – something gravely frowned upon by fundamental Christian doctrines.

Christianity encourages direct communication with God through prayer instead of routing requests through a saint, contrary to the Catholic Church’s practices. By diverting prayers and veneration towards saints, we stray dangerously close to violating the First Commandment. In a worldview framed around the teachings of Christ, such respect is due only to God.

The Church’s pattern of declaring selected esteemed followers as saints further deviates from scripture and Christian worldview. More worryingly, this perpetuates a culture of idolatry that can lead believers astray from God’s teachings in favor of man-made principles.

It is essential for us as Christians not to let such misguided narratives dilute our understanding of biblical Christianity. Hence, rather than conferring our faith in narrated miracles or sainthood status assigned by human authority, let us hold onto real news driven by the truths enshrined within the Bible.