Pope Francis Canonizes Mother Teresa, Honoring Her Work With the Poor
On September 4, 2016, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, acknowledging her dedication to serving the poorest of the poor and conferring upon her one of the Catholic Church's highest honors.
Salt Lake City, UT, September 4, 2026 —
On September 4, 2016, Pope Francis officially canonized Mother Teresa, bestowing upon her sainthood within the Catholic Church. This significant ceremony acknowledged her lifelong commitment to serving the most impoverished individuals across the globe.
The canonization represents one of the highest honors the Catholic Church can confer. Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910, dedicated her life to caring for the sick, the poor, and the dying, particularly through the Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded in 1950. Her work gained international recognition for its compassionate outreach to those in extreme need.
The process leading to canonization involves rigorous examination of the candidate’s life and virtues, as well as confirmation of miracles attributed to their intercession. Mother Teresa’s canonization followed a period of extensive review by church officials. The specific details of the miracles that led to her sainthood were not provided in the summary.
The ceremony marked a key moment in the Catholic Church’s recognition of Mother Teresa’s legacy. Her beatification, a step preceding canonization, occurred in 2003. The 2016 event formally recognized her as a saint, allowing for wider veneration by Catholics worldwide. The summary does not include information regarding the exact location of the canonization ceremony or specific reactions from global leaders or religious figures.
Story summarized from the original created by Chris Miller on www.deseret.com, see more information here.
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