The Vatican took a significant step forward Tuesday as Pope Francis signed a decree authorizing the long-awaited canonization of Venezuelan blessed José Gregorio Hernández, widely known as the “doctor of the poor,” during an audience held at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital where the Supreme Pontiff is currently receiving treatment.
According to information published by Vatican News, the Pope approved the favorable votes from the Ordinary Session of Cardinal Fathers and Bishop members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, necessary for this miraculous path to sainthood.
– Historic Achievement for Venezuela –
José Gregorio Hernández will become the first Venezuelan saint proclaimed by the Church. His cause for sainthood began in 1949. In 1986, Pope John Paul II declared him venerable, in 2020 Pope Francis approved the miracle attributed to his intercession, and in 2021 he was beatified.
The miraculous path to canonization has sparked widespread celebration throughout Venezuela, where Hernández’s legacy as a compassionate physician and humanitarian continues to inspire millions of devotees across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressed gratitude via his Telegram account, writing that his country thanked Pope Francis “for his historic gesture of canonizing the ‘doctor of the poor.'”
“It represents a tremendous step forward and gift to our homeland, an act of justice for a man who in life was the protector of the most humble and who has always performed the miracle of health and life for those most in need,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Caracas released a statement on social media confirming the information and describing the event as a “historic achievement, long awaited by the Venezuelan people.”
“It stands as recognition of the exemplary life and heroic virtues of a man who dedicated his existence to alleviating human suffering and transmitting a message of love and hope,” the statement reads.
– Divine Intervention –
Father Gerardino Barracchini, episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Caracas and vice-postulator for the blessed Venezuelan’s canonization cause, affirmed Tuesday on social media: “José Gregorio Hernández belongs to us. Today we thank the Holy Father and the universal Church because, finally, after this long wait, we can call him Saint José Gregorio Hernández.”
For his part, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, congratulated Venezuela “for this momentous achievement.” “It brings immense joy to all Venezuelans and to me, having come to know and love the blessed.”
“Having a saint of this caliber carries great responsibility,” added the former apostolic nuncio to Venezuela from 2009 to 2013. “This will bring tremendous benefit to all people and also to the country, which greatly needs peace, reconciliation, and harmony,” he concluded.
Images of Venezuelan faithful celebrating in various locations are circulating on social networks. At Our Lady of Candelaria Church, where his remains rest, those present sang “Alma Llanera,” considered Venezuela’s second national anthem, to express their jubilation over the decision.
The miraculous path to sainthood was solidified on January 9, 2020, when the Medical Commission of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the miracle attributed to Hernández’s intercession: the healing of teenage girl Yaxuri Solórzano Ortega in 2017.
The young woman suffered a gunshot wound to the brain during a robbery. The injury caused loss of brain matter, and doctors assured she would not survive. However, her parents prayed to Hernández, to whom Venezuelans hold great devotion in cases of serious illness, and the girl left the hospital in perfect health.
– The Life of a Saint –
Born October 26, 1864, in Isnotú, a small town in the western state of Trujillo in the Venezuelan Andes, José Gregorio Hernández was raised by Benigno Hernández and Josefa Cisneros. His mother was a homemaker while his father owned a dry goods store, grocery, and pharmacy.
Initially aspiring to become a lawyer, José Gregorio’s father suggested medicine as a profession. In 1878, at just 13 years old, he was sent to Caracas to complete preparatory studies and study philosophy.
He later entered the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) at 17. Upon graduating in 1888, he was recognized as the most outstanding medical student. Additionally, he became multilingual, speaking English, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, and Latin. He acquired knowledge of Hebrew and maintained interests in music, philosophy, and theology.
Returning to his native Isnotú, he established a popular clinic prioritizing services for those without resources, saying he must attend to the most needy. He was concerned with various afflictions of the era, especially malaria and tuberculosis—a disease he himself suffered to the point of receiving last rites.
In 1889, he traveled to France and Germany to deepen his knowledge, sent by then-President Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl (1888-1890) to contribute to the modernization of local medicine. Upon his return in 1891, he began teaching, opening new departments of Normal and Pathological Histology, Experimental Physiology, and Bacteriology at UCV.
Hernández also founded the Experimental Physiology Laboratory of Caracas and imported the microscope, a vital element in revolutionizing Venezuelan medicine.
On June 29, 1919, Hernández was struck by a vehicle in Caracas. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.
The saintly story of José Gregorio Hernández has been attributed by the faithful since the day of his death. According to accounts, the physician had offered his life for the end of World War I, which was realized with the Treaty of Versailles, signed the previous day.
If you enjoyed this article about this miraculous path to sainthood, share it with your friends or leave us a comment!
