Albania demands Mother Teresa's remains

The Church as well as the government has disputed and opposed the demand of Albania to return the remains of Mother Teresa buried at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) in Kolkata.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha asked India to return the remains of the Nobel laureate to Albania by the 100th anniversary of her birth in August 2010.

Mother Teresa - born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, to an ethnic Albanian family - spent 68 years in India spreading the love of Christ through caring and support. Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world

Reacting to Berisha's statement that Albania has started negotiations with the Indian government, which "will be intensified this year", Vishnu Prakash, a spokesman for the external affairs ministry, said "Mother Teresa is an Indian citizen and her remains will rest in her own country".

Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), the apex body of Christians in West Bengal, also opposed the move and called the demand "baseless". BCP general secretary Herod Mullick told a leading daily that "Mother became an Indian by choice. Nobody can support the Albanian government's stand."

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has warned the government to consult the Church and the Missionaries of Charity before taking any decision.

"As and when such a request comes to us, we will take a considered decision in consultation with the Missionaries of Charity," CBCI spokesperson Rev Babu Joseph told IANS.

Mother Teresa is the founder of Missionaries of Charity that now consists of over 4,800 nuns and 757 branches in 145 nations. The humanitarian icon was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.