Mother Teresa of Calcutta to be beatified October 19 in Rome

Mother Teresa of Calcutta is known around the world for her whole-hearted and free service to the poorest of the poor, a virtue which lifted the hearts of many to God and inspired many to imitate her.

Pope John Paul II has officially recognized the holiness of Mother Teresa and approved a miracle obtained through her intercession; therefore, she will be beatified in Rome on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2003. October 19th also coincides with the closest Sunday to the 25th anniversary of the Holy Father’s Pontificate.

The cause for Mother Teresa’s beatification has been the fastest in recent times for several reasons. The members of the congregations founded by her worked well as a team and prepared 80 volumes of documentation in a very short time. Also, in regions where there is no saint or blessed, the current canonical normative allows for preference to be given to these regions. Although Mother Teresa was not a native of India, because she lived there for such a long time, she may be considered to be of that country. Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints said: "She is also perhaps the most outstanding figure of contemporary hagiography. She causes very great fascination not only in the church but also among nonbelievers. She is universally considered a saint."

A Day of Prayer will take place in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome on Oct. 17. The Missionaries of Charity will end the day with solemn adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. On the morning of Oct. 19, the rosary will be prayed in St. Peter’s Square followed by the ceremony of the beatification of Mother Teresa. On Monday, Oct. 20, Cardinal Saraiva Martins will celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass in St. Peter’s Square, followed by the pilgrims’ audience with the Pope. Mother Teresa’s relics will remain exposed for veneration by the faithful in the Basilica of St. John Lateran Basilica from Oct. 20-22, 2003.

Beatification is a step in the process of canonization. This process has two stages. The first stage is the Diocesan Phase in the local church where the candidate lived; in Mother Teresa’s case, the Archdiocese of Calcutta. The local bishop, assisted by a Postulator, focus on gathering documents and historic facts of the candidate’s life and interviewing witnesses to demonstrate the way the candidate practiced the Christian virtues. Once the Diocesan Phase opens, the candidate may be referred to as a "Servant of God."

The second stage is the Roman Phase, in which the findings of the local church are transferred to the Vatican office of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints [CCS] for study and evaluation. The Postulator works under the supervision of an official of the CCS. A panel of theologians and a commission of cardinals and bishop study the materials and present its findings to the Pope for his judgment.

Upon the Pope’s affirmation that the Servant of God indeed lived a heroic Christian life, he or she is then called a "Venerable Servant of God." When a miracle, attributed to the person’s intercession, is approved, the beatification ceremony may be held. A "Blessed" may be so honored in certain places; the Pope allows public veneration of the person in the local Church, by the religious congregation with which he or she was associated, and in other places by those who receive such permission.

The canonization of a saint is a solemn act by which the Pope declares that a person practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace, is with God in heaven and is to be venerated throughout the whole Church. The Pope enrolls the person on the list of Saints. A list is also called a "canon," hence the term "canonization." The expression, "raised to the altar," is often used as an equivalent of "canonization" and the person is assigned a feast day in the yearly schedule of the Church’s liturgical celebrations. After being canonized as a Saint, the person should be honored in liturgical celebrations by the whole universal Church.

When asked what the Church obtains from a canonization, Cardinal Saraiva said: "The principal fruit for the Church of any beatification or canonization is the glory that is given to God and, in addition, the great quantity of ‘moral miracles’ that accompany it." He also emphasized that the Church of today is greatly in need of models and examples.