Senior Church officials from Venezuela have cautioned the government against using the canonization of two national blesseds as a political tool amid ongoing unrest and international criticism of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
At a gathering held on October 17 at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Cardinal Baltasar Porras, emeritus Archbishop of Caracas, and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, a top Vatican diplomat, emphasized that the canonization of Blesseds José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles must remain a spiritual celebration, free from political influence.
Cardinal Porras told The Pillar that “no one owns or controls the canonization,” warning that attempts to use the event for propaganda would be rejected by the faithful.
The Venezuelan government has invested heavily in organizing major national events to celebrate the canonizations, which will take place on October 19 in St. Peter’s Square.
However, critics, including opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado, have accused the regime of trying to distract citizens from widespread poverty, political repression, and economic decline.
During an interview with The Pillar, Archbishop Peña Parra acknowledged the risks of politicization but expressed faith in the people’s understanding. “José Gregorio is a saint of the Venezuelan people. The people love him,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Venezuelan bishops’ conference issued a pastoral letter on October 8, urging the government to release political detainees as a gesture of peace before the canonization. The appeal followed growing international attention on the country’s human rights situation and the imprisonment of thousands for political reasons.
While Cardinal Porras remains an outspoken critic of the Maduro administration, his successor, Archbishop Raúl Biord, has adopted a more conciliatory approach, meeting publicly with the president and his son in August.
This stance has sparked debate within the Church, with some officials warning against the perception of complacency.
The canonization of the first two Venezuelan saints — once a source of national pride — now stands at the intersection of faith, politics, and the struggle for justice. Despite government involvement, Church leaders insist that holiness cannot be manipulated.
“Holiness calls us to do things rightfully,” Archbishop Peña Parra said. “This is what José Gregorio and Madre Carmen remind us to do.”
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