Amid tight security, tens of thousands of pilgrims attended Sunday morning’s canonisation mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. During the service, the head of the Catholic church paid tribute to Teresa, declaring her a model of mercy.

She becomes a saint after two miraculous cures of the sick were attributed to her following her death in 1997. A Nobel Prize winner, she founded her order the Missionaries of Charity, on the streets of Kokata.

But Teresa is not without critics. They have accused her, among other things, of patient neglect, poor hygiene and taking money from dictators. Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens made a documentary about her called ‘‘Hell’s Angel’‘.

By historical standards, mother Teresa’s sainthood has been fast-tracked, a process which began after she was beatified by Pope John Paul in 2003. (Euronews)