The Church as well as the government has disputed and opposed the demand of Albania to return the remains of Mother Teresa buried at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) in Kolkata.
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha asked India to return the remains of the Nobel laureate to Albania by the 100th anniversary of her birth in August 2010.
Mother Teresa - born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, to an ethnic Albanian family - spent 68 years in India spreading the love of Christ through caring and support. Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world
Reacting to Berisha's statement that Albania has started negotiations with the Indian government, which “will be intensified this year", Vishnu Prakash, a spokesman for the external affairs ministry, said "Mother Teresa is an Indian citizen and her remains will rest in her own country".
Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), the apex body of Christians in West Bengal, also opposed the move and called the demand “baseless". BCP general secretary Herod Mullick told a leading daily that "Mother became an Indian by choice. Nobody can support the Albanian government's stand."
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has warned the government to consult the Church and the Missionaries of Charity before taking any decision.
"As and when such a request comes to us, we will take a considered decision in consultation with the Missionaries of Charity," CBCI spokesperson Rev Babu Joseph told IANS.
Mother Teresa is the founder of Missionaries of Charity that now consists of over 4,800 nuns and 757 branches in 145 nations. The humanitarian icon was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Society
Albania demands Mother Teresa's remains
By: John Malhotra
Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 17:26 (IST)
Copyright © 2009 Christian Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior permission.
Have your say on this article
Added: Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 20:35 (IST)
It is absurd demand. She was Albanian, OK. But she was not born in Albania, but in FYR Macedonia's capital - Skopje. And she left her country for India when she was 19 years old, spending all of her life in Kolkata. She never was in Albania whatsoever! So, Albanian demand to move her remains in Albania is very undiscerning, to say at least. Leave her to rest in peace. She's a saint and she deserved it.
Hawk, Buchurescti
Added: Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 21:34 (IST)
Mother Theresa was born in Macedonia, so if any country should seek her remains it's Macedonia. As for her ethnicity, it's not Albanian. She never once publically stated she was Albanian. Unfortunately, the Albanian lobby was worked hard at misleading the world as to her ethnic origin. It certainly wasn't Albanian. Her origin was Vlach (Wallachian), which is similar to Romanian, but she was born in Macedonia. This whole lesson is an exercise in futility, as this Saint spent her life in India, and her remains should remain in India. Plain and simple.
Naum, Toronto, Canada
Added: Monday, 9 November 2009, 21:20 (IST)
Correction, all who claim that Mother Teresa was born in present day macedonia is true of course. however you must take in consideration the historical fact that present day Skopje, or rather Shkup (albanian) was undisputably part of the albanian border and territory during the time she was born. It was later separated and given away to new bornders under the Treaty of London in 1913.
Olti Bej Vlora, Toronto, Canada
Top Stories
Society Headline
