Saint Mother Teresa showed world to 'love without discrimination': Father Francis Xavier

Expressing happiness after the canonisation of Mother Teresa as "saint" in Vatican City on Sunday, Father Francis Xavier said may Mother Teresa set an example to all to follow the path to love and help everyone without any discrimination.

Declaring Mother Teresa a saint at a Sunday morning Mass, Pope Francis declared her the model of his "Jubilee Year of Mercy" and in some ways his "entire papacy".

"Saint means really blessed by God, and really honoured by the church to set an example for all the people," Xavier said.

"Mother took care of the poor, when they were dying, when they were thrown in the streets, when nobody was taking care of them. She took utmost care and spent the valuable medicines for them and told them that God loves them all without any discrimination," he added.

He further said, "May mother Teresa set an example to all of us, so that we also can follow the vocation of God to love everyone without any discrimination and to tell people that we are sent by God as messengers to take care of them and to love them and to help them forever."

Stating that she never proclaimed that she is a big person, Father Francis Xavier quoted her as saying: "I'm sent by God to love all without any discrimination. God is love and I am also reflecting God's love in serving the poor. Service is act of God and through service we also become God's chosen people to tell everyone that God is always with us in us through us is always making people as one family. Spread the goodness of love to everyone without any discrimination."

Mother Teresa worked with the poor in Kolkata for nearly four decades, having initially come to eastern India as a missionary teacher with Ireland's Loreto order.

Born to Kosovar Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia in 1910, Teresa died in 1997. By then she was a household name around the world and also an Indian citizen.

Meanwhile, devotees from across the world were also seen all decked up to witness the event with pomp and show.

Earlier in March, Pope Francis had announced that Mother Teresa would be made a saint in a canonisation ceremony on September 4 on the eve of her 19th death anniversary.