Card. Gracias: Overjoyed for Mother Teresa, who restored dignity to most marginalized
by card. Oswald Gracias

The archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Latin Rite Bishops' Conference tells AsiaNews: "I am not surprised by the decision to canonize her at the Vatican. The Mother thought that an Indian should belong first of all to the whole world ". Her work has touched the hearts of everyone, and love for her crosses all borders.


Mumbai (AsiaNews) - We are grateful and overjoyed at the news of the canonization of Mother Teresa. We thank God for this great gift: the sainthood of our beloved Mother. The Indian Church is grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis for having decided to elevate her to the altars in this Holy Year of Mercy. Mother is in fact the face of the merciful love of Jesus and the Virgin.

This canonization reveals the value of human dignity: Mother Teresa has always emphasized this, through her loving and compassionate service to the poorest of the poor. She has restored dignity to those who are in the outer margins of society, those who are worn out by life, those who have special needs ... Mother Teresa has touched the hearts of everyone.

I am not surprised by the decision to celebrate the canonization in the Vatican as Mother Teresa always thought that an Indian belongs to the world. The Indian government has granted her the highest honors, but the most important thing was the unconditional love of millions of Indians for her. Mother was loved, known and in some cases revered by all. Especially by those she loved most, the poor and the outcasts.

This is a moment of glory for our country. God bless the Pope, God bless India.

(Nirmala Carvalho collaborated)