Image of Dr. José Gregorio Hernández. / Credit: Venezuela Bishops’ Conference
ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 25, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).
AlthoughheremainsincriticalconditioninGemelliHospital,PopeFranciscontinuestowork.OnMondayevening,afterthedoctorsreporteda“slightimprovement,”thepontiffreceivedatthehospitaltheVaticansecretaryofstate,CardinalPietroParolin,andArchbishopEdgarPeñaParra,substituteforGeneralAffairsoftheSecretariatofState.
Thereasonforthevisitwasannouncedtoday:TheHolyFatherauthorizedthedecreesdesignatingfivepersonsasservantsofGodandapprovedthecanonizationofVenezuelanBlessedJoséGregorioHernándezandItalianBlessedBartoloLongo.
Aftertheunexpectedvisittothehospital,thesecondthatPopeFrancishasreceived—hemetprivatelywithItalianPrimeMinisterGiorgiaMelonilastweek—thesetwoblessedsareontheirwaytocanonization.Thepontiffhasalsodecidedtocallaconsistoryforbothcanonizations,althoughtheexactdatehasnotbeendetermined.
BlessedJoséGregorioHernández,the‘doctorofthepoor’TheVenezuelanblessed,knownas“thedoc
