Mother Teresa Beatified; Still Dead

VATICAN CITY (Disassociated Press) October 20, 2003 – In one of the final steps before achieving Sainthood, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was beatified by Pope John Paul II in a ceremony full of pomp and circumstance Sunday in Vatican City.  However, the beatification did not change the status of her mortality, and the Holy Mother remains in a state of being dead, as she has been since September of 1997.

         “Beatification was never intended to have any effect on the state of the beatifee, with regard to their being dead,” said Cardinal Roulette Bourgnian of France. “Beatification is not a substitute for Resurrection.”

         Some attendees of the festivities found the situation to be paradoxical.  “Here’s this big festivity for this woman, and she’s not here to participate in it or enjoy it – because she’s dead,” said Jimmy Creever, 28, of St. Louis.  “It all just seems a little incongruous to me.”

         Others took the irony in stride.  “From what I’ve read, I think Mother Teresa would have loved this day,” said Sadie Goldstein, 72, of Crown Heights.  “Rome has gotten so filthy since I was last here, 40 years ago – I’ll bet it’s just like this in Calcutta.”

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