Mother Teresa to be sainted after Francis recognises miracle

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Nobel laureate known for dedicating her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Catholic Church, the Vatican has said.

Pope Francis has cleared the way for sainthood by approving a decree recognising a second miracle attributed to her intercession with God — a necessary event for such a move in the church.

Teresa, who died in 1997 at the age of 87, become an international icon of charity in the 20th century but has also been criticised for trying to convert people to Christianity. She was beatified in 2003 by the late Pope John Paul II. Beatification, which requires one miracle, is the last step before sainthood, which requires two. The Church believes saints are holy men and women who lived extraordinary lives of virtue and are believed to be in Heaven with God.