Vatican to approve sainthood for Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa will be cleared to become a saint today after a Vatican panel recognises a second miracle attributed to the late nun famed for her work with the poor of Kolkata. The committee of senior clerics that approves elevations to sainthood is due to meet today from 0900 GMT (0230 p.m. local time) with the long-awaited green light seen as a formality, less than two decades after her death.

Pope Francis will then sign a decree approving the canonisation of the 1979 Nobel peace prize winner and announce a date and venue for it to happen.The Albanian nun and missionary will be one of five candidates for sainthood considered at today ‘s session, but by far the most high-profile.

The canonisation is widely expected to take place on September 4, the eve of the anniversary of her 1997 death for which a celebration of her memory had already been scheduled as part of the Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy.