Mother Teresa will be declared a saint 'within months'

Mother Teresa is set to be canonised faster than any 20th century saint was declared.

An Archbishop gathering evidence of her miracles says Vatican officials are ready to accelerate the process.

Claims of miracles investigated include a Palestinian girl who says the Albanian nun cured her cancer by appearing in her dream.

The Most Reverend Henry D'Souza, Archbishop of Calcutta, said the inquiry is complete and her canonisation "could happen within months".

He said: "Things could be done in a very short time because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Mother. When she was alive, she was already known as a living saint."

The fastest canonisation by Pope John Paul II was that of Monsignor Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, who was declared blessed 17 years after his death.

In the case of Mother Teresa, who died in 1997, the Pope has already waived the usual five-year delay after a person's death before being considered.