‘God's Influencer' to become first millennial saint
VATICAN CITY : Italian millennial Carlo Acutis, dubbed 'God's Influencer', will be elevated to sainthood in September after the original ceremony was delayed by Pope Francis's death in April, the Vatican said today.
Pope Leo XIV rescheduled to Sept 7 the canonisation of Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15.
He had been set to be made a saint on April 27.
Nicknamed the 'Cyber Apostle', the teenager had an ardent faith from a young age and used his computer skills to spread the Catholic faith online, notably creating a digital exhibition on miracles.
Italian student Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), renowned for his social commitment and passion for mountain climbing, will be canonised on the same day.
Leo will raise seven others to sainthood on Oct 19.
They include Papua New Guinea's first saint, Pierre To Rot, a lay catechist executed by Japan in 1945, Ignace Shoukrallah Maloyan, an archbishop who died in 1915 and the Venezuelan 'doctor of the poor' Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros, who died in 1919.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Malay Mail
Cold baths, climate shelters as Southern Europe heatwave intensifies
ROME, June 29 — Authorities across Southern Europe urged people to seek shelter today and protect the most vulnerable as punishing temperatures from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France climbed higher in the summer's first major heatwave. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots and regions issued fire warnings as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. Peaks of 43 degrees Celsius were expected in areas of southern Spain and Portugal, while nearly all of France is sweltering in heat expected to last for several days. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. 'We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted,' said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a 'muggy, miserable' Verona. Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. 'We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' he told AFP. 'Climate shelters' Hospitals like the Ospedale dei Colli in Naples have set up dedicated heatstroke pathways to speed access to vital treatments like cold water immersion, Guarino said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Bologna has set up seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70. Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called 'urban heat island' effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings. 'The heat waves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years, with peaks of 37 degrees or even more in cities, where the urban heat island effect raises the temperatures even further,' said Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). 'A further increase in temperature and heat extremes is expected in the future, so we will have to get used to temperatures with peaks even higher than those we are experiencing now,' she told AFP. Invasive species In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until Monday night due to 'persistently extremely high maximum temperature values', according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert today for extreme heat and forest fires, as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes yesterday. In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity. 'With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests,' said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO). 'We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated,' he said. It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. Italy's ISPRA launched a campaign this week urging fishermen and tourists alike to report sightings of four 'potentially dangerous' venomous species. The lionfish, silver-cheeked toadfish, dusky spinefoot and marbled spinefoot are beginning to appear in waters off southern Italy as the Mediterranean warms, it said. — AFP
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Malay Mail
Hot and bothered? Science explains why some people melt in the heat — and others don't
PARIS, June 29 — When summer temperatures rise, not everyone handles the heat in the same way. Some people breeze through scorching days, while others seem to wilt in the warmth. What lies behind these different coping abilities? The answer can be found in a combination of physical traits, genetic influences and behavioural habits When the warm weather arrives, two distinct camps emerge: those who love the heat and those who hate it. And each tribe has its own rituals and interests. The former dream all year round of jetting off to sun-soaked destinations, while the latter head for northern climes to avoid scorching temperatures. A matter of taste, some would say. But also of physical constitution. Indeed, we're not all equal when it comes to the summer heat. Some people tolerate it less well than others, whether it's a dry or humid kind of heat. These inequalities depend on a number of factors, including age, gender, build and hormonal balance. Human beings are 'homeothermic' animals, meaning that we keep our core temperature relatively constant despite any changes in the surrounding conditions. But, at the same time, our bodies naturally produce heat, which also makes us 'endothermic' creatures, like other mammals. When our bodies are exposed to intense heat, they thermoregulate by producing sweat. It is the evaporation of this sweat through the pores of the skin that evacuates the heat, thus lowering the body's temperature. Biological inequalities But this internal climate-control system doesn't work in the same way for everyone. Babies and older people sweat less than adults, which explains why they are so sensitive to ambient heat. They are also more likely to suffer from dehydration, as they don't tend to feel as thirsty. Yet the body needs a sufficient supply of water to produce sweat and adjust its core temperature. In addition to age, our ability to withstand high temperatures depends on our biological sex. The assumption that women are more sensitive to heat than men is confirmed by numerous scientific studies. Research from the Netherlands, published in 2021 in the journal International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, reports that deaths during heatwaves are higher among women than men. These differences are due to a number of possible causes, including differences in height, weight, perspiration, cardiovascular strain and hormones. However, it would be wrong to say that women's greater discomfort in summer is solely linked to biology. It also stems from social factors, with the Dutch researchers explaining that women are less likely than men to be well-equipped to cope with the heat due to income inequalities. Changing behaviour to better tolerate heat In addition to the physical differences between individuals, heat tolerance is closely linked to lifestyle. When temperatures rise, many people turn on the air conditioning. And this may be a good idea in the heat of the moment, but it can be less so in the longer term. The stronger the air conditioning, the greater the difference with the outside temperature. This puts our bodies to the test when we leave the air-conditioned space. Too severe a change in temperature (over 10°C) can lead to thermal shock, and in the worst case, loss of consciousness or even cardiac arrest. So it's best to use air conditioners sparingly. Diet also has an impact on our tolerance to high temperatures. Fatty or high-protein foods contain compounds that are relatively difficult to digest. Our bodies have to expend more energy to process them, and therefore generate more heat. That's why we often sweat profusely after eating sausages, burgers and other grilled meats at a barbecue. When the mercury rises, opt for light meals with vegetables, lean meats or fish. Similarly, it's important to limit alcohol consumption. Generally speaking, it's perfectly possible to change your habits to acclimatise better to the heat. And that's good news as the effects of global warming become more keenly felt. Over the period of February 2023 to January 2024, the global surface air temperature was 1.52°C higher compared to pre-industrial levels of 1850-1900, according to the EU's Copernicus monitoring programme. In this context, we're going to have to be adaptable if we're to learn to live in a world where our tolerance to heat will be increasingly challenged. — ETX Studio
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Malay Mail
Plastic to paracetamol: Scientists engineer E. coli to turn waste into painkillers, but doubts remain
LONDON, June 29 — Scientists have found a way to use the bacteria to convert plastic waste into a popular painkiller, a study said Monday, though outside experts doubted the technique would make a dent in the fight against plastic pollution. Paracetamol, which is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, is made from the derivatives of fossil fuels, often by Asia-based subcontractors using cheap, polluting methods that contribute to climate change. The world is also facing an escalating crisis of plastic pollution, with countries set for another bruising round of negotiations in August in the hope of sealing an international treaty to reduce plastic waste. The British team of researchers behind the new study sought to find a solution to the two problems by roping in a third — which is normally known for making people sick when they eat contaminated food. First the chemists used a molecule derived from PET plastic, which is used in bottles and many other plastic products the world over, to spark a chemical reaction in a strain of This created a molecule they called PABA, according to the Nature Chemistry study, which was partly funded by drug firm AstraZeneca. By genetically modifying the bacteria, the chemists were able to transform their molecule into acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol. 'This work demonstrates that PET plastic isn't just waste or a material destined to become more plastic — it can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease,' lead study Stephen Wallace said in a statement. Singaporean researchers not involved in the study praised how it combined synthetic and biological chemistry. But 'several practical considerations remain' to take this idea beyond the proof-of-concept stage, they wrote in a linked commentary in the journal Nature Chemistry. The chemical reaction produces only a limited amount of PABA molecules, which 'may be insufficient for industrial applications', they wrote. Melissa Valliant, communications director of the Beyond Plastics project of Bennington College in the United States, expressed scepticism. 'A new 'plastic-eating bacteria' pops up in the news every few months and has been doing so for years,' she told AFP. 'These discoveries never scale up to anything significant enough to tackle the massive plastic pollution problem.' This 'crisis needs to be stopped at the source,' she added, which means 'companies and policymakers must reduce the amount of plastic being produced and used in the first place'. — ETX Studio
