Delcy Rodríguez sends letter to Pope to push for canonization

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez sent a formal letter to Pope Leo XIV requesting the canonization of Mother María de San José, the country's first beatified figure, according to Prensapresidencialvenezuela on October 22, 2026. The request seeks to raise to the altars the founder of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose beatification process concluded in 1994.

In the letter sent to the Vatican, the Venezuelan government also formalized its institutional support for the beatification cause of Monsignor Salvador Montes de Oca, bishop of Valencia, who was noted for his defense of fundamental rights and his opposition to the Gómez regime, before being shot by Nazi forces in Italy during World War II.

The exchange of letters included a note of thanks from the state to the Catholic Church and Caritas for the comprehensive material and spiritual assistance provided to communities affected by the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24. The official communication closed with wishes for the speedy recovery and health of the pontiff.