Pope Leo XIV makes history, canonizing Venezuela’s first saints

The event marked a significant moment for Venezuelans both at St. Peter’s Basilica and across the country, which continues to face economic hardship and political instability.

The ceremony took place against the backdrop of recent events in Venezuela, including the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader María Corina Machado and US military operations in the Caribbean, which resulted in the deaths of more than two dozen people after strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking.

Holiness is the Church’s official recognition that a person has lived a life devoted to sacred service and now resides in heaven, serving as an example of Christian faith, dedication, and virtue.

Ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica

During Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square, where tens of thousands gathered, Pope Leo XIV canonized seven new saints from around the world, including two from Venezuela.

The new saints are:

• Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan;
• Peter To Rot, the first saint from Papua New Guinea;
• Vincenza Maria Poloni;
• María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez;
• Maria Troncatti;
• José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros;
• Bartolo Longo.

“Today we have before us seven witnesses, the new Saints, who, with God’s grace, kept the lamp of faith burning. Indeed, they themselves became lamps capable of spreading the light of Christ,” the Pope said in his address.

Celebrations in Venezuela

Venezuelan flags waved across public squares, and pilgrims wore T-shirts featuring the images and names of the new saints. Amid political turmoil and an economic crisis, people came together to watch the ceremony’s online broadcast.

About the new saints

José Gregorio Hernández, known as the doctor of the poor, refused to charge patients with low incomes and often paid for their medicines himself. He worked as a physician in Caracas at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, served as a professor of practical pathology, and founded the bacteriology department at the University of Caracas.

Mother Carmen Rendiles Martínez was a nun who founded the religious order of the Servants of Jesus. Born in Caracas in 1903 with one hand, she and Hernández have been depicted in numerous murals across Venezuela and neighboring countries.

Reactions from politicians and the public

María Corina Machado, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, wrote on X: “Venezuela today awakens blessed with its two saints, José Gregorio and Mother Carmen. They are the saints of all Venezuelans, and we know that their miracles will continue to be for the benefit of a people that wants to live united, in peace, with freedom and dignity.”

Edmundo González, politician and former Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina, added: “A day of joy for Venezuelans. The canonization of José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles reminds us that the greatness of a country is measured by its capacity to serve with generosity and humility.”

Delsa Solórzano, president of the Venezuela’s Citizen Encounter Party, said: “Today Venezuela is filled with joy. In times when our land most needs to heal, a luminous sign reaches us from the sky: Venezuela has two saints.”

Recently, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appealed to Pope Leo XIV to help preserve peace in the country amid rising tensions with the US.

This appeal comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions: US military operations continue near Venezuela’s coast, striking vessels suspected of transporting drugs.