The canonization of the blessed José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles, celebrated on October 19 in St. Peter's Square, has awakened in Venezuela an atmosphere of celebration, but also of controversy. According to The Pillar, Nicolás Maduro's government seeks to politically capitalize on the celebration of the first Venezuelan saints, amid international denunciations for human rights violations and a devastating economic crisis.
Government and canonization: propaganda amid repression
The regime has financed and organized massive events in Venezuela to celebrate “José Gregorio” and “Madre Carmen”, with the clear objective of diverting attention from internal repression and international isolation. Critics point out that, following the 2024 elections denounced as fraudulent, the greatest political persecution in recent years has been unleashed: thousands of prisoners, exiles, and censorship even in private WhatsApp messages.
Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado—recent Nobel Peace Prize winner—launched a worldwide prayer campaign calling for the release of all political prisoners, a call that resonated in the recent pastoral letter from the Venezuelan bishops, in which they requested pardons as a gesture of reconciliation.
The Church's position: between prophecy and prudence
Cardinal Baltasar Porras, emeritus archbishop of Caracas and staunch opponent of Chavismo, warned in Rome of the risk of political manipulation of the canonizations, emphasizing that “no one controls the holiness of the people”. His intervention, recalling the political prisoners, was received with a two-minute ovation, except by the government representatives present in the hall.
In contrast, the current archbishop of Caracas, Raúl Biord, maintains a more conciliatory line with the regime. In August, he allowed himself to be photographed smiling next to Nicolás Maduro and his son, which has raised suspicions among the faithful and analysts who fear an excess of complacency at the expense of the Church's prophetic voice.
Popular faith versus political manipulation
The substitute of the Secretariat of State, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, insisted that the canonization “is of the people” and cannot be monopolized by political interests. The figure of José Gregorio Hernández, doctor to the poor, and Madre Carmen Rendiles, religious founder, is deeply beloved by Venezuelans and difficult to reduce to official propaganda.
However, the tension is evident: while the Catholic people celebrate with legitimate pride their first saints, the regime attempts to spiritually profit from what it has failed to offer in freedom, justice, and well-being. The challenge for the Church will be to keep its prophetic voice clear, without allowing holiness to be used as a smokescreen to cover up oppression.
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