Summary The official canonization grants sainthood to Mother Teresa
LAHORE: (Web Desk) - Mother Teresa will go down in history as a Saint Teresa of Kolkata. The official canonization took place on Sunday which attracted masses from all across the globe.
"For the honor of the Blessed Trinity... we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata) to be a saint and we enroll her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church,” the Pope said in Latin.
The pilgrims who arrived for canonization from all corner of the world erupted in sustained applause in St Peter s Square at the Vatican the moment Pope Francis proclaimed her St. Teresa of Kolkata.
Known as the "saint of the gutters" during her life, the Albanian born nun was declared saint just 19 years after her death. The past week also marked 100 years since the birth of the greatest humanitarian. Her legacy will still live on for years to come, however, the Nobel Peace Prize winner s dedicated her entire life to the highly acclaimed project in Kolkata that gives food, shelter and care to the deserving ones. She started the order with 12 nuns and which now includes more than 5,800 people in 139 countries.
Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now capital of Macedonia. She became a nun at the age of 18. It was in 1950, when she decided to travel to Kolkata and in her own words; she described this spiritual journey as the "call within a call". Setting up the Missionaries of Charity order, she decided to devote her entire life to the depriving masses. Teresa was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 owing to her prolonged services.
Criticism
As Catholics around the globe celebrate the sainthood of Mother Teresa, the eve also met severe criticism not only for her methods but also her order. The critics claimed that the order mainly focused on its status rather than the relief. In addition, poor medical care to the sick and dying ones and usage of syringes without sterilization plus unhygienic conditions were also the major factors to have sparked criticism. The newly proclaimed saint was also lambasted by critics for enjoying celebrity status and also spending most of her time visiting world leaders.
