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  "path": "/2026/05/15/british-student-tipped-sainthood-death-cancer-28383036/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-15T15:18:51.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "UK",
    "Cancer",
    "Catholic Church",
    "Death",
    "Manchester",
    "Pope Francis",
    "News Updates",
    "Breaking News",
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    "London",
    "Pope Leo XIV",
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  "textContent": "Pedro Ballester could be the first Gen Z saint (Picture: Opus Dei/Cover Images)\n\nA British student who died of cancer in 2018 could potentially become the Catholic Church’s first Gen Z saint.\n\nPedro Ballester tragically passed away at just 21, after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pelvic cancer.\n\nBut, in a bid to keep Pedro’s memory alive, his family — alongside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford — have made a case to immortalise him as a saint.\n\nSpecifically, they have opened a ’cause for the canonisation,’ which is the ‘formal, multi-stage process within the Catholic Church that investigates a deceased person’s life, virtues, and reputation for holiness to determine if they should be declared a saint.’\n\nAfter this examination, it’s then decided if it should be presented to the Pope.\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nThe Diocese said in a statement: ‘We are pleased to announce the opening of the Cause for the Beatification and Canonisation of Pedro Ballester, a young Manchester man whose life of faith and witness continues to inspire many.\n\n‘The opening of this cause marks an important step in recognising the life and witness of a young man whose example of faith, especially in the face of suffering, continues to resonate with many people today.’\n\nPedro sadly died of cancer when he was just 21 (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nSince Pedro’s death, the Diocese stated that the 21-year-old’s ‘reputation for holiness has grown significantly.’\n\nIt added that Catholics are invited to submit their own testimonies, memories and writings about Pedro to strengthen the case.\n\nAccording to the Daily Mail, over 60 of Pedro’s friends and family have been interviewed by church authorities about his case to become a saint.\n\nThe Catholic Church will then have to determine whether Pedro’s life was filled with ‘heroic virtue.’ This essentially means it will have to be proven whether he was committed to his faith and consistently practised it throughout his life.\n\nHis parents, Dr Pedro Ballester Nebot and Esperanza Arenas Arguelles, who hail from Spain, say their son was a devout Catholic, just like them.\n\nThey said: ‘His faith went deep and he was happy to share it with others, but in a very natural way.’\n\nPedro was a devout Catholic (Picture: Opus Dei)\n\nPedro’s family also said he was a young man known for his ‘cheerfulness and many other virtues.’\n\n‘He had a Latin sociable character mixed with Northern grit. He was both sociable and straightforward, eschewing all fuss and sentimentality, but he greatly enjoyed company and was a great friend to his friends.’\n\nPedro’s father later told the BBC that, while only the Pope can say ‘who is a saint,’ his son was an ‘extraordinary young man.’\n\nIn 2014, Pedro had his whole life ahead of him, moving from Manchester to London after earning a place at Imperial College London to study chemical engineering.\n\nHowever, he was forced to transfer to the University of Manchester to complete his studies closer to home after he was diagnosed with advanced cancer.\n\nPedro met Pope Francis in 2015, three years before his death (Picture: Opus Dei/Cover Images)\n\nThere, he received treatment at The Christie, the largest single site cancer centre in Europe.\n\nOne year later, he was able to meet Pope Francis in Rome.\n\nBut sadly, Pedro died three years later in 2018, where more than 500 people attended his funeral.\n\nPedro’s case comes after British-born Italian teenager Carlo Acutis recently became the first millennial saint.\n\nCarlo, who died of leukaemia aged 15 in 2006, was raised to sainthood by Pope Leo XIV in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican, in September last year.\n\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "British student tipped for sainthood after death from cancer"
}