On December 14th 2023, with authorization from Pope Francis, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints promulgated decrees related to eleven canonization causes, among them that of Guatemalan doctor Ernesto Cofiño, declared venerable for his heroic practice of Christian virtues.
In a statement, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, Prelate of Opus Dei, expressed: “We give thanks to God for this happy news and thank the Holy Father for making this decision.”
“Ernesto responded to God’s grace and his vocation by living Christian virtues in his family, in his medical profession, and in his generous service to those most in need: the sick, the poor, and orphans. Together with his wife Clemencia, they transformed their home—blessed with five children—into a bright and joyful abode,” he noted.
Santiago Callejo, a priest and postulator of Cofiño’s cause, shares that the layman always stood out for his generosity of life, being a good husband and father, as well as always striving to be a better doctor. According to Callejo, the new venerable saw his work as a path to serve others, “to change the piece of the world that God had entrusted to him.”
“[Venerable Cofiño] shows us that work and family are the places where we are called to behave as Jesus would. He dedicated his whole heart to the service of others. He was concerned about nurturing his own Christian experience and stimulated the spiritual life of those who approached him,” the postulator expressed, as quoted in the message shared by Opus Dei.
Father Callejo considers that Doctor Cofiño “will be a very close inspiration for the Church in Guatemala.” He affirms that the doctor’s reputation for holiness has rapidly expanded across all regions of the country, where numerous stories related to the new venerable have emerged. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ Decree Promulgation document also highlights the approval of the heroic virtues of Servant of God Francesca Lacellotti, a deceased mother.
Also present on the list is the venerable Mexican priest Moisés Lira Serafín, founder of the Missionaries of Charity of the Immaculate Mary, whose attributed miracle has been approved, allowing him to be elevated to the dignity of Blessed. Similarly, a miracle by the intercession of Venerable Servant of God Ana de Jesús, a Discalced Carmelite nun who died in 1621, was approved.
Life of Grace, Family, and Profession
Ernesto Cofiño was born in Guatemala City on June 5, 1899. In 1919, he began studying medicine at the University of La Sorbonne (France). In 1933, he married Clemencia Samayoa, with whom he had five children: Ernesto, Clotilde, Clemencia, Sofía, Roberto, and José Luis.
He specialized in pediatrics and, according to Opus Dei, he not only addressed the physical ailments of his patients but also embraced the problems of children and their families. “Driven by his faith and a desire for solidarity,” he created and was involved in many life-promoting initiatives, always benefiting expectant mothers, orphans, and street children.
In 1956, he joined Opus Dei and intensified his relationship with God, through daily Mass and communion, frequent confession, prayer, sacrifices in ordinary life, and other Christian practices. He greatly cultivated his personal relationships with friends and acquaintances, “communicating his joy and his faith” wherever he went.
Throughout his life, “he strived to balance his family life and professional work,” the Prelature assures. The now venerable used to say, “Profession and life are inseparable: alongside medical-professional and social activities, there is home life.”
Regarding his wife, Cofiño affirmed that she was “his support in difficult times, encouragement in failures; joy in the home that was filled by five children.” Clemencia passed away in 1963, and from then on, Cofiño dedicated himself more to his children, never neglecting his professional duties.
Ernesto died on October 17, 1991, in Guatemala City. He lived with his illness (cancer detected in 1981 and re-emerged in June 1991) seeking God’s company and consolation.
In 2000, the diocesan process on his life, virtues, and reputation for holiness was opened, during which 45 witnesses were interviewed over 58 sessions. In 2002, the Vatican granted the decree of juridical validity of the diocesan process, and the relator of his cause was appointed.
In 2021, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints received the 771-page document on his life and diocesan process; and in 2022, the Vatican gave a positive response to the question of the heroic exercise of virtues by the Servant of God.
A year later, the ordinary session of the cardinals and bishops that make up the dicastery pronounced in favor of the heroic virtues of Ernesto Cofiño. Finally, today Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree of heroic virtues of the now Venerable Ernesto Cofiño.
