Pope Francis to canonise late Italian teenager Carlo Acutis in April

Pope Francis waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at The Vatican (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Pope Francis has said he will canonise Carlo Acutis next April, setting the eagerly awaited date for the late teenager to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial and digital saint.

Francis made the announcement at the end of his weekly general audience on Wednesday, saying he would proclaim the church’s youngest contemporary saint during the Jubilee of Adolescents at the Vatican on April 25-27.