FACT CHECK: Manipulated video used in post about Saint Carlo Acutis ‘prediction’

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There are no credible reports or statements of Saint Carlo Acutis predicting ‘three days of darkness’ in 2026

Claim: Saint Carlo Acutis told his mother, Antonia Salzano, a prediction about “three days of darkness” set to occur in 2026, as shown in a video. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has 27,472 views, 740 likes, and 85 comments as of writing. It was uploaded to a channel claiming to be a religious account, which has 9,160 subscribers. 

The video’s title states: “Carlo Acutis revealed the 3 days of darkness in 2026… most people won’t survive.”

The video shows Salzano speaking about her son’s supposed prediction about three days of darkness set to engulf the earth, leading to chaos and mass deaths. Salzano is shown advising the public to prepare by staying indoors, praying, and bringing religious items inside the house during the three-day duration.

Similar videos about the supposed prediction are also circulating on various social media platforms.

The facts: There is no evidence of Saint Carlos Acutis making such a prediction. There are no credible reports or statements attributed to him about the supposed warning on the “three days of darkness.”

A reverse search shows that the original video came from a prayer video series for Acutis, which shows Salzano narrating memories with her son. The misleading video manipulates the original, as it is evident that Salzano’s mouth movements and the audio voice are not synced. The body and hand gestures are also repetitive throughout the video. A scan by DeCopy.ai shows a 100% likelihood that the video was mixed work by a human and AI.

Not part of Catholic teaching: The origin of the supposed prophecy traces its roots back to the 18th and 19th centuries, with the statement attributed to a number of individuals in history, one of them being Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, an Italian-born member of the Secular Trinitarians. 

However, the supposed “three days of darkness” prediction is not part of official Church teachings. The Catholic Church has no statement about it, and it is also nowhere to be found on the Vatican website.

Millennial saint: Saint Carlos Acutis, dubbed the first “millennial saint,” was an Italian teenager who died at the age of 15 after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. He was canonized as a saint on September 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV.

Acutis was known for devoting his life to spreading the teachings of the Bible online. (READ: Carlo Acutis sainthood reflects Vatican desire to attract a new generation of Catholics)

At least two miracles have been attributed to Acutis, the first involving a Brazilian boy who was healed from a rare pancreatic disorder. The second miracle was the healing of a Costa Rican woman who suffered from severe head trauma in a bicycle accident.

Debunked: Rappler has debunked similar posts citing religious content:

• FACT CHECK: Nostradamus did not predict Marcos presidency
• FACT CHECK: The Bible doesn’t predict the US’ downfall
• FACT CHECK: Kian Delos Santos not considered for sainthood, photos are AI-generated

– Aaron Ernest Cruz/Rappler.com

Aaron Ernest Cruz is a Rappler intern for Research & Data and a fourth-year student at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He is the news editor at PUP Campus Journalists and a current contributor at Bulatlat.com.