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Prior to Blessed Carlo Acutis’ beatification in October 2020, his tomb was opened for public veneration, allowing visitors to see the remains of the youthful saint, dressed in jeans and sneakers.
However, after the beatification ceremony, the tomb was closed, in part because of confusion surrounding the state of Acutis’ body.
When Acutis’ body was exhumed during the investigations for his beatification, there were initial reports that his body was incorrupt.
Fr. Carlos Acácio Gonçalves Ferreira, the rector of the shrine where Carlo’s tomb is, said that his body was discovered “fully integral,” though not intact.
While his body appears to be incorrupt through the viewing glass, it is not. Acutis’ body is covered with a wax layer that is molded to look like his body prior to burial. This is not uncommon for the presentation of saints’ bodies.
Holiness within reach
Fr. Ferreira explained the importance of the way his body is presented.
For the first time in history we will see a saint dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweater. This is a great message for us; we can feel holiness not as a distant thing but as something very much within everyone’s reach because the Lord is the Lord of everyone.
Pilgrims to Assisi can visit Acutis’ tomb at the Sanctuary of the Renunciation, a part of the Church of St. Mary Major.
And today we celebrate...