'Sainthood' to be conferred on Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary, will be given 'Sainthood', said Sunita Kumar, a Missionaries of Charity spokesperson, here on Friday, while confirming a report published in an Italian newspaper.

On Thursday, an Italian Catholic newspaper had reported that Mother Teresa of Calcutta would be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in September next year.

Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference, said on its website that Pope Francis on Thursday approved a decree recognising a miracle attributed to her intercession with God.

Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 at the age of 87, was beatified in 2003 by the late Pope John Paul. Beatification, which requires one miracle, is the last step before sainthood.

Avvenire reported that the second miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Teresa, which is required for canonisation, involved the inexplicable healing of a man, who was suffering from a deadly brain disease.

Family members of the sufferer prayed to Mother Teresa and he recovered, leaving doctors at a loss to explain how, the newspaper claimed.

Mother founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent 45-years serving the poor, sick, orphaned and dying on the streets of Kolkata. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Delhi Archbishop Anil JT Couto welcomed the Vatican decision to elevate Mother Teresa to sainthood. In a statement, he said the move would bring hope to those dedicated to the service of the poor. "Mother Teresa was a true reflection of God's mercy and compassion to countless destitute people around the world," he added.

Clearing the path for Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood, the Vatican has recognised a second miracle of the nun.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent 45-years serving the poor, sick, orphaned and dying on the streets of Kolkata.