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Teresa beatification makes kolkata famous world over
The year 2003 saw the name of this metropolis permanently etched in the canons of the Roman Catholic church with Pope John Paul-II declaring Mother Teresa as `Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta` in the fastest-ever beatification ceremony.
The year 2003 saw the name of this metropolis permanently etched in the canons of the Roman Catholic church with Pope John Paul-II declaring Mother Teresa as "Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta" in the fastest-ever beatification ceremony.
The October 19 ceremony at St Peter's Square of Vatican
City made her 1,315th beatified person in the entire Catholic
Church and the sixth in India. This will enable her worship in
missionaries of charity houses world-wide, adding a feather in
the cap to this "City of Joy" which has produced four Nobel
laureates.
Awarded on the basis of a north Bengal tribal woman Monica Besra's claim of a miraculous cure at the intercession of Mother Teresa, the beatification puts her on the threshold of sainthood, a process formally known as canonisation that requires evidence of another miracle after beatification.
Once canonised, as keenly desired by the ailing Pope, the nun will be known as "Mother Teresa of Calcutta" enabling her "universal worship" in all Catholic churches the world over.
Though the Vatican put her on fast track to sainthood waiving the customary five-year waiting period after her death for starting the process, her journey to the "blessed" status had not been easy. Controversy brewed over claims of besra who asserted that she was cured of her abdominal tumour after she prayed to Mother Teresa.
Doctors who treated the tribal woman at the Raigunj Hospital and the North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri, however, persistently denied her claims, saying she was cured by medical treatment.
Soon, a section of the Roman Catholic clergy joined sceptics, saying that in its hurry in beatifying Mother Teresa, the Vatican had not been careful in carrying out a foolproof verification of the claim of miracle.
They said that the miracle claim was likely to be challenged in future despite the Vatican's seal of approval.
On the eve of the beatification, a rationalists' body challenged the miracle claim and demanded arrest of Sister Nirmala, Mother's successor as MC superior-general, for encouraging superstitious beliefs. West Bengal's ruling Left Front major CPI(M) also criticised the manner in which the vatican approved the miracle and distanced itself from the post-beatification celebrations.
Earlier Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee declined an invitation from Sister Nirmala to attend the beatification ceremony at the Vatican.
Meanwhile, Aroup Chatterjee, a London-based NRI doctor from Kolkata, created a flutter among Teresa's admirers claiming that the nun had done more harm than good to the image of Kolkata.
Chatterjee, whose book "Teresa: The final verdict" dealing with the subject earned a good press in the West, alleged that Mother Teresa needed Kolkata more than the city needed her.
Notwithstanding such criticisms, Mother Teresa's tomb at the MC headquarters continued to attract a steady stream of visitors most of whom are confident of another miracle that will pave the way for her sainthood.
Awarded on the basis of a north Bengal tribal woman Monica Besra's claim of a miraculous cure at the intercession of Mother Teresa, the beatification puts her on the threshold of sainthood, a process formally known as canonisation that requires evidence of another miracle after beatification.
Once canonised, as keenly desired by the ailing Pope, the nun will be known as "Mother Teresa of Calcutta" enabling her "universal worship" in all Catholic churches the world over.
Though the Vatican put her on fast track to sainthood waiving the customary five-year waiting period after her death for starting the process, her journey to the "blessed" status had not been easy. Controversy brewed over claims of besra who asserted that she was cured of her abdominal tumour after she prayed to Mother Teresa.
Doctors who treated the tribal woman at the Raigunj Hospital and the North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri, however, persistently denied her claims, saying she was cured by medical treatment.
Soon, a section of the Roman Catholic clergy joined sceptics, saying that in its hurry in beatifying Mother Teresa, the Vatican had not been careful in carrying out a foolproof verification of the claim of miracle.
They said that the miracle claim was likely to be challenged in future despite the Vatican's seal of approval.
On the eve of the beatification, a rationalists' body challenged the miracle claim and demanded arrest of Sister Nirmala, Mother's successor as MC superior-general, for encouraging superstitious beliefs. West Bengal's ruling Left Front major CPI(M) also criticised the manner in which the vatican approved the miracle and distanced itself from the post-beatification celebrations.
Earlier Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee declined an invitation from Sister Nirmala to attend the beatification ceremony at the Vatican.
Meanwhile, Aroup Chatterjee, a London-based NRI doctor from Kolkata, created a flutter among Teresa's admirers claiming that the nun had done more harm than good to the image of Kolkata.
Chatterjee, whose book "Teresa: The final verdict" dealing with the subject earned a good press in the West, alleged that Mother Teresa needed Kolkata more than the city needed her.
Notwithstanding such criticisms, Mother Teresa's tomb at the MC headquarters continued to attract a steady stream of visitors most of whom are confident of another miracle that will pave the way for her sainthood.