Sister Alphonsa canonised as first Indian saint; Pope condemns violence

Sister Alphonsa from Kerala became the first Indian nun to be canonised by Pope Benedict XVI, as church bells rang and thousands of Christians in India and abroad participated in jubilant celebrations.

At the ceremony in St. Peter's Square, attended by over 5,000 Indian Christians, including a 15–member delegation led by Union Labor Minister, Oscar Fernandes, the Holy See said, "As the Christian faithful of India give thanks to God for their first native daughter to be presented for public veneration, I wish to assure them of my prayers during this difficult time."

"Her heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of deep suffering remind us that God always provides the strength we need to overcome every trial," he added.

The Pope also used this occasion to express his concern over the violence against Christians in states like Orissa and Karnataka.

"I urge the perpetrators of violence to renounce these acts and join with their brothers and sisters to work together in building a civilisation of love," the Pope said in his concluding speech after canonising Sister Alphonsa and three others –– Maria Bernarda Butler from Switzerland, Narcisa de Jesus Marlillo Moran from Ecuador and Father Gaetano Errico from Italy.

"I invite prayers for reconciliation and peace in situations which provoke alarm and great suffering," he said.

Special masses were also held in Catholic churches across Kerala, where Saint Thomas, one of the 12 apostles, is believed to have arrived in 52 AD, bringing Christianity to India

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP today took exception to the remarks of Pope Benedict on violence against Christians in India saying a religious head should avoid such comments.

Its spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said, "India is a sovereign country and I do not think any religious head should say anything."

She said recently three Archbishops held talks with BJP leader L K Advani. "A good joint statement came out. He (the Pope) should have appreciated it instead of making a comment by himself," she added.

Earlier, the Pope had condemned the anti–Christian violence, which was sparked with the assassination of a Hindu leader in Orissa on August 23. The Christians were brutally murdered, houses set on fire and thousands forced to flee to forests, despite the Maoists claiming responsibility for the slaying.

Alphonsa, who died at the age of 36, was beatified in 1986 during former Pope John Paul II's visit to India. Her tomb became a pilgrimage site and she was credited with several miracles, particularly curing illness and disease.