Mother Teresa, the celebrated nun known for her work with the poor in India, will be declared a saint later today.
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Mother Teresa, the celebrated nun known for her work with the poor in India, will be declared a saint later today.
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Sunday’s morning service led by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
Revered by Catholics, the Vatican has described her life as ‘‘a metaphor for selfless devotion and holiness.’‘ It’s a legacy which is seen to fit in with Francis’s vision or a poor church that strives to serve the poor – the ceremony is being billed as the highlight of the Catholic church’s Holy Year of Mercy.
Teresa becomes a saint after two miraculous cures of the sick were attributed to her following her death at the age of 87 in 1997.
A Nobel Prize winner, she founded her order the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, on the streets of Kokata.
But she is not without critics. They have accused her, among other things, of patient neglect, poor hygiene and taking money from dictators. Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens made a documentary about her called ‘‘Hell’s Angel’‘.
Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens made a documentary about her called “Hell’s Angel”.
By historical standards, mother Teresa’s sainthood has been fast-tracked, a process which began after she was beatified by Pope John Paul in 2003.