Pope Leo XIV received a public audience to a Delegation of the Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV), headed by its president, Douglas León Natera, on October 2.
The meeting in Rome was held in the prelude to the canonization of its first two saints, andL Lay doctor José Gregorio Hernández and The religious Carmen Rendiles, Scheduled for October 19.
The Vatican confirmed that the canonization ceremony, which will elevate José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles to the altars, It will be held with other blessed on October 19.
This decision was made by the Pontiff in the first session held in June, shortly after the canonizations were approved by the deceased Pope Francis in February and March, respectively.
Together with León Natera, a delegation of the Latin American Latin Medical Confederation was present, underlining the regional scope of the meeting with the Holy Father.
Tribute to the “Doctor of the Poor”
The visit of the FMV to the Vatican is part of the deep fervor surrounding the figure of José Gregorio Hernández in Venezuela. In August of this year, the FMV He had already declared the “doctor of the poor” as a patron of doctors in Venezuela, in recognition of their humanitarian work and your example of goodness and service.
During that proclamation ceremony, blessed by Cardinal Baltazar Porras, the FMV Executive Committee, chaired by León Natera, delivered the Dr. José de la Trinidad Rojas Contreras medal in posthumously to José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.
The relevance of the canonizations stood out even at the political level, when the Venezuelan official rule Nicolás Maduro personally requested the Pope Leo XIV, on May 8, the “prompt concretion” of both processes.
