Hundreds of thousands have assembled in St Peter's Square in the Vatican to witness the canonisation of Mother Teresa, the Catholic symbol adored far and wide for her work with poor people and the dying.
The canonisation mass, held by Pope Francis, occurred under a colossal picture of the Albanian nun, who built up the Missionaries of Charity order in Kolkata in 1950. The order now runs 758 homes, hospices and safe houses in 139 nations around the globe.
Nuns – some wearing the particular blue and white robes of Mother Teresa's order – ministers and ordinary catholics packed into the square before St Peter's Basilica for the two-hour service.
Police officers and volunteers in yellow tabards and baseball caps marshaled the group between barricades, and Red Cross laborers gave out bottles of water. Dignitaries in participation inluded a 100 person delegation sent by the Indian government.
Around 1,500 of the poor in Italy were given seats of honor at the festival, which was followed by a pizza lunch served by 250 nuns and clerics of the Sisters of Charity request on the requests of the pope.
Amid the canonisation service, Cardinal Angelo Amato read a brief portrayal of Mother Teresa's work before requesting that the pope sanctify her.
Francis reacted: "After due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint and we enrol her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church."
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