Venezuela gets its first saint

Pope Leo XIV canonised seven people on Sunday. PIC/AFP

Pope Leo XIV canonised Venezuela's beloved "doctor of the poor" on Sunday before an estimated 55,000 people at a Mass at St Peter's Square, offering the Caribbean nation its first saint and a reason to celebrate.

Jose Gregorio Hernandez, revered by millions for his dedication to poor people, was declared a saint alongside Mother Carmen Rendiles Martinez, the founder of a Venezuelan religious order.

The Mass also gave Papua New Guinea its first saint: Peter To Rot, a layman killed in prison in 1945 for standing up for monogamous marriage at a time when polygamy was practised. In all, seven people were canonised in a ceremony that Pope Francis put in motion in some of his final acts as pope.

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