Which is it? Saint Teresa of Calcutta or Mother Teresa of Kolkata
There is confusion over the proper title of Mother Teresa. Her name is appearing in the media as both "Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta" and "Mother Teresa of Kolkata," sometimes written with the word "Mother" and sometimes without. Which is correct?
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
9/6/2016 (7 years ago)
Published in Christian Saints & Heroes
Keywords: Mother Teresa, saint, Calcutta, Kolkata
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The correct title for Mother Teresa is now, "Saint Teresa of Calcutta." The Vatican has confirmed this fact.
The mother is dropped from her official title and is replaced with the title of saint. The city name is spelled "Calcutta."
Here's why so many people are confused.
When a person is recognized as a saint, their former titles mean very little. Popes, Mothers, Fathers, and such are earthly titles which are worth very little when compared to sainthood. One might compare it to an Olympic athlete who wins a gold medal. Suddenly, their high school accomplishments mean little. Or a professor who may have several lower degrees on their wall, but is only referred to as doctor, with the lesser degrees dropped.
As for the name of her city, it is Calcutta. In 2001, Calcutta changed its name to Kolkata to more closely match its native pronunciation. Calcutta was the Anglicized version of the city's name, but the English have been gone for nearly three generations.
Despite the name change, Mother Teresa died in 1997 when the city was still named Calcutta. As a result, the proper name for her is now Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
A good way to understand this is to think of the city of Constantinople. This legendary city is today known as Istanbul. It was previously known as Byzantium. Several saints have "of Constantinople" in their titles. It would make little sense to change these titles to "of Istabul." The saints lived and died when the city was named Constantinople, so their title reflects that fact.
If Calcutta had changed its name to Kolkata before Saint Teresa's earthly passing, she would likely be known as Saint Teresa of Kolkata. However, this is not the case.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ray Dalio Warns of Potential Civil War, Advises Moving Assets Abroad
-
Understanding Pentecost: A Celebration of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Tradition
-
Did you know the Catholic Church has a birthday?
-
Catholic Bishops Call for Civil Dialogue Amid Church Polarization
-
Pope Francis Emphasizes Charity as the Pinnacle of Christian Love
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Monday, May 20, 2024
- St. Bernardine of Siena: Saint of the Day for Monday, May 20, 2024
- Prayer to St. Gabriel, for Others: Prayer of the Day for Friday, May 10, 2024
- Daily Readings for Sunday, May 19, 2024
- St. Celestine: Saint of the Day for Sunday, May 19, 2024
- Prayer for Travelers: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, May 09, 2024
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.