Pope signs decree making José Gregorio Hernández, ‘doctor of the poor,’ Venezuela’s first saint
Pope signs decree making José Gregorio Hernández, ‘doctor of the poor,’ Venezuela’s first saint
Figurines depicting physician Jose Gregorio Hernandez are displayed for sale at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Father Gregory Lobo wears a chasuble designed with an image of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez during a celebratory Mass in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
A woman embraces a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A woman kneels at the shrine dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
A man looks up at a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A devotee holds up a framed image of of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernández, outside La Candelaria church where he is buried, in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 26, 2020. The remains of Hernández, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, were exhumed in a private ceremony inside the church as part of a Vatican request for his beatification process. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
The remains of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, are displayed in an urn backdropped by his portrait, inside the La Candelaria Catholic church, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro presents Pope Francis with a statuette of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, a popular figure amongst Venezuelans whom Maduro expressed hope for his canonization, on the occasion of their private audience at the Vatican, June 17, 2013. (Andreas Solaro via AP, File)
A man holds prayer cards with images of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony outside the church that guards his remains in La Candelaria neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
A woman prays at a memorial dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, on the street where he died when hit by a car in 1919, in La Pastora neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
People gather outside La Candelaria Catholic church associated with Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
An altar dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is adorned with flowers and statues in his likeness, at the Vargas Public Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)
A banner depicting Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is displayed at the entrance of the Our Lady of Candelaria Church where his remains are interred, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
Figurines depicting physician Jose Gregorio Hernandez are displayed for sale at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Figurines depicting physician Jose Gregorio Hernandez are displayed for sale at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Father Gregory Lobo wears a chasuble designed with an image of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez during a celebratory Mass in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Father Gregory Lobo wears a chasuble designed with an image of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez during a celebratory Mass in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
A woman embraces a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A woman embraces a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A woman kneels at the shrine dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
A woman kneels at the shrine dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, after Pope Francis approved the canonization of the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
A man looks up at a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A man looks up at a statue of José Gregorio Hernandez, the physician known as the “doctor of the poor”, in Valencia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Pope Francis on Tuesday approved a decree to canonize Hernandez, making him Venezuela’s first saint. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
A devotee holds up a framed image of of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernández, outside La Candelaria church where he is buried, in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 26, 2020. The remains of Hernández, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, were exhumed in a private ceremony inside the church as part of a Vatican request for his beatification process. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
A devotee holds up a framed image of of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernández, outside La Candelaria church where he is buried, in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 26, 2020. The remains of Hernández, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, were exhumed in a private ceremony inside the church as part of a Vatican request for his beatification process. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
The remains of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, are displayed in an urn backdropped by his portrait, inside the La Candelaria Catholic church, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
The remains of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, popularly known as the “doctor of the poor”, are displayed in an urn backdropped by his portrait, inside the La Candelaria Catholic church, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro presents Pope Francis with a statuette of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, a popular figure amongst Venezuelans whom Maduro expressed hope for his canonization, on the occasion of their private audience at the Vatican, June 17, 2013. (Andreas Solaro via AP, File)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro presents Pope Francis with a statuette of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, a popular figure amongst Venezuelans whom Maduro expressed hope for his canonization, on the occasion of their private audience at the Vatican, June 17, 2013. (Andreas Solaro via AP, File)
A man holds prayer cards with images of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony outside the church that guards his remains in La Candelaria neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
A man holds prayer cards with images of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony outside the church that guards his remains in La Candelaria neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
A woman prays at a memorial dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, on the street where he died when hit by a car in 1919, in La Pastora neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
A woman prays at a memorial dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, on the street where he died when hit by a car in 1919, in La Pastora neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
People gather outside La Candelaria Catholic church associated with Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
People gather outside La Candelaria Catholic church associated with Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez on the day of his beatification ceremony, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
An altar dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is adorned with flowers and statues in his likeness, at the Vargas Public Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)
An altar dedicated to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is adorned with flowers and statues in his likeness, at the Vargas Public Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)
A banner depicting Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is displayed at the entrance of the Our Lady of Candelaria Church where his remains are interred, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
A banner depicting Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez is displayed at the entrance of the Our Lady of Candelaria Church where his remains are interred, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A man revered by millions as the “doctor of the poor” will be the first saint from Venezuela after Pope Francis approved a decree Tuesday.
A date for the canonization of Dr. José Gregorio Hernández, who died in 1919, has not been set. The Vatican in a statement said Francis also decided to convene a formal meeting of cardinals to set the dates for future canonizations, but it was not immediately scheduled.
“This historic event, long awaited by the Venezuelan people, is a 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 Archdiocese of Caracas said in a statement. “The Catholic Church recognizes his life of holiness, accompanied by a universal devotion, which today allows him to be elevated to the altar.”
Hernández was beatified in April 2021 after the church certified a miracle in the case of a girl who completely recovered after being shot in the head in 2017.
Hernández, born on Oct. 26, 1864, in the western Venezuela town of Isnotu, never married and graduated as a doctor in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, in 1888. He was convinced that science was one of the main ways to get the South American country out of misery and went on to establish two research institutions as well as teach several classes at the Central University of Venezuela, the nation’s oldest and largest.
He traveled to Europe to study and then to become a Catholic monk, but his fragile health was affected by Italy’s cold and humid weather. He returned to Venezuela to recover and stayed permanently.
On June 29, 1919, Hernández was hit by a car while crossing a street shortly after picking up medicine at a pharmacy to take to an impoverished woman. His death was caused when his head hit the edge of a sidewalk. An estimated 20,000 people participated in his funeral procession, about a quarter of the population of Caracas at the time.
In 1986, the Vatican declared Hernández “venerable,” which means that he led an exemplary Christian life. But to achieve sanctity, teams of doctors, theologians and cardinals must approve miracles attributed to him.
When Pope John Paul II, now a saint, visited Venezuela in 1996, he received a petition signed by 5 million people — at the time, almost one in four Venezuelans — asking him to declare Hernández a saint.