SÃO PAULO – A major folk saint in the northeastern part of Brazil, 19th-century Padre (Father) Ibiapina was officially declared Venerable by the Vatican, according to a decree.
Ibiapina has been considered by many as an avant-la-lettre representative of Pope Francis’s ideal model of the Church because of his continuous dedication to social works and his passion for the poorest in society.
Ordained a priest only at 47, Ibiapina previously had a very successful career as a lawyer and a judge in the first part of his life.
