DIOCESAN BEATIFICATION PROCESS FOR MOTHER TERESA TO OPEN

VATICAN CITY, MAR 1, 1999 (VIS) - The following press communique was released by the Holy See this morning:

"The Holy Father John Paul II has given permission, at the behest of Archbishop Henry Sebastian D'Souza of Calcutta, and many other prelates, for the diocesan process of beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta to be able to start, dispensing from the norm (article 9 of the 'Normae servande') which states that five years must have elapsed from the death of the Servant of God before beginning the process.

"Following this dispensation, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on December 12 1999, issued the rescript authorizing the archbishop of Calcutta to begin the process of beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

"It is now to the archbishop of Calcutta to carry out the preliminary proceedings and then to constitute the tribunal which will examine texts and will gather documentation relating to the life and virtues of the Servant of God."

...;BEATIFICATION MOTHER TERESA;...;D'SOUZA;VIS;19990301;Word: 180;