The region's deep Catholic tradition of anointing and then venerating saints is also an important factor, he said.

WSJ: Ch��vez Is Idolized Like His Own Idol, Bol��var

"This is an intriguing and a unique event combining the unusual practice of venerating relics with a down-to-earth experience of an optimistic spirituality for all, " said Father Martin Coyle, the provincial leader of the Salesians in Great Britain, the religious order founded by the saint.

BBC: Saint John Bosco relics on display in Liverpool