Pope gives Venezuela reason to celebrate by canonizing its beloved 'doctor of the poor' as 1st saint

"VATICAN CITY -- Pope Leo XIV canonized Venezuela's beloved "doctor of the poor" Sunday before tens of thousands of people, offering the South American nation its first saint and a reason to celebrate amid a yearslong economic crisis and new tensions with the United States. José Gregorio Hernández, revered by millions for his dedication to poor people, was declared a saint alongside the founder of a Venezuelan religious order, Mother Carmen Rendiles Martínez, at a Mass in St. Peter's Square."

"The Mass, which the Vatican said drew some 70,000 people, also gave Papua New Guinea its first saint: Peter To Rot, a layman killed in prison in 1945 for standing up for monogamous marriage at a time when polygamy was practiced. In all, seven people were canonized in a ceremony that Pope Francis put in motion in some of his final acts as pope."

Pope Leo XIV canonized José Gregorio Hernández, a physician revered for dedicating his life to the poor, offering Venezuela its first saint. Mother Carmen Rendiles Martínez, founder of a Venezuelan religious order, was canonized alongside him. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans attended the Mass in St. Peter's Square and gathered in Caracas to watch on giant screens, with Venezuelan flags displayed in Rome and fireworks in Caracas. The Mass drew about 70,000 people and also canonized Peter To Rot of Papua New Guinea among seven new saints. Pope Francis approved Hernández's sainthood from his hospital room, waiving the usual miracle confirmation because of widespread veneration, and President Nicolás Maduro thanked him for intervening.

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