Some Catholic Priests have described the canonisation of Mother Teresa by Pope Francis on Sept. 4, as a “well-deserved honour.’’
They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that on Sept. 4, Pope Francis proclaimed Mother Teresa a saint, in front of tens of thousands of pilgrims who flocked from around the world to St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
The Pontiff praised her as the merciful saint who defended the lives of the unborn, the sick and the abandoned, who shamed world leaders for the “crimes of poverty they themselves created’’.
He held Saint Teresa as a model for today’s Christians during his homily for the nun, who cared for the “poorest of the poor’’.
The President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Alaba Job, said that Mother Teresa was an example of “humility to humanity’’.
“God made provisions for his people, and he teaches them, nurtures them, and enhances them by his different provisions.
“Mother Teresa was given to us by God as an example of the humility of love and of charity; her canonisation shows us that our age is still loved by God and that God is still in our midst.
“Her canonisation is a challenge to each and every one of us to become holy, to love without counting the costs, to be generous, to be charitable, and to serve the Lord with all our hearts.
“For us in Nigeria, Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a good example of how to live; to accumulate graces rather than Naira, to use all that God has given to us to serve Him through our neighbours.
“It has come at a time when we are seeing the wickedness of our nature, how so much has been grabbed by individuals, and we have made things difficult for others and for the whole nation.
“I pray that the same spirit of Christ that Mother Teresa had will dwell in our hearts and make us turn this nation into a complete opposite of what it is now.
“That is that we will use the gifts of God to give joy to others and to bring people to heaven. May many of Mother Teresa begin to exist in our midst,’’ he said.
The Catholic Bishop of Yola, Most Rev. Stephen Mamza, said that the canonisation was well deserved, considering Mother Teresa’s charitable disposition to the needy, especially in the slums of Calcutta, India during her life time.
“This made her a household name and a reference point for what should be emulated by people in public office and private circles,’’ he said.
Mamza urged Nigerians in public and private positions to emulate her as a role model by extending charity to those who elected them into office.
“The masses are hungry, jobless and looking up to those in government for assistance.
“They should be charitable through policies enacted by them by being people-friendly to cushion the effects of the current economic recession in the country,’’ he said.
The cleric urged the Federal and State Governments to demonstrate charity by taking care of the Internally Displaced Person’s (IDPs) across the three North-Eastern States caused by Boko Haram attacks since 2009.
“No form of assistance in recent years from the governments, rather the church has been responsible for their well-being over the years.
“The IDPs can pass for our own slum dwellers now that need assistance from governments, individuals and corporate organizations, for them to be happy,’’ he said.
The Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, said that Mother Teresa’s canonisation was one that could be called “canonisation of the people by the people and for the people,” borrowing from the definition of democracy.
“Last Sunday, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was raised to Sainthood by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The Church only endorsed what majority of the people, Christians and non-Christians, have said from the very day she died.
“Many Italians shouted “Santo subito,” at the news of her funeral, meaning: “Saint, immediately, note that I said, “Majority”. (NAN)