Cardinal Parolin celebrates Mass for Venezuela’s first saints, urging justice and love to heal the nation. A historic moment for unity and hope.
Newsroom (20/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, presided over a solemn thanksgiving Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, celebrating the canonization of Venezuela’s first two saints, José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros and Maria Carmen Rendiles Martínez. The liturgy, held at the Altar of the Chair, marked a historic moment for the Venezuelan Church, with Parolin, who served as Apostolic Nuncio in Venezuela from 2009 to 2013, expressing profound solidarity with the nation’s faithful.
“Our hearts are full of the joy we felt yesterday in St. Peter’s Square: Venezuela now has its first saints. Not one, but two – saints for all,” Parolin declared in his homily. The Mass, enriched by the harmonies of the Simón Bolívar Choir of the Venezuelan Orchestral System, drew Venezuelan bishops, priests, civil authorities, and pilgrims who journeyed to Rome for the occasion.
A Legacy of Healing and Faith
Reflecting on the scriptural passage from Isaiah 58:6-11, Parolin underscored the saints’ embodiment of Christian charity. He described Saint José Gregorio Hernández, a revered physician, as a figure whose “mere presence healed,” bringing both medical expertise and spiritual solace to Venezuela’s poorest. Saint Maria Carmen Rendiles Martínez, founder of the Servants of Jesus of Caracas, was hailed as a testament to the “strength of Venezuelan women,” whose life’s work nurtured faith and community across generations.
Drawing from 1 John 3:14-18, Parolin emphasized the transformative power of love: “Only by loving our brothers do we pass from death to life. Whoever does not love remains in death.” He presented the saints as exemplars of this principle, urging the faithful to emulate their selflessness and dedication.
A Call for Renewal in Venezuela
Parolin’s homily carried a poignant message for Venezuela, a nation grappling with social and political challenges. “Only by listening to the Lord can Venezuela move from death to life,” he said, calling for an end to “unjust pressures” and the liberation of the oppressed. He advocated for a society rooted in justice, truth, freedom, and love, urging Venezuelans to foster dialogue, prioritize unity, and pursue the common good in public life.
The cardinal framed the canonization as a kairos—a divinely appointed moment for renewal. “Do not let it pass in vain,” he exhorted, invoking the intercession of the new saints: “Saint José Gregorio and Saint Mother Carmen, pray for us!”
The Mass concluded with a shared sense of hope and resolve, as pilgrims and clergy alike looked to the saints’ legacy to inspire a path forward for Venezuela.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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