West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee leaves for the Vatican to attend the canonisation ceremony where Mother Teresa will be declared a saint.

Banerjee will be accompanied by her party leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek OBrien and state chief secretary Basudeb Bandyopadhyay. Sister Mary Prema, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity will also accompany Banerjee.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will lead the official Indian delegation. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his private secretary Bibhaw Kumar and public works minister Satyendra Jain are also headed to Rome.

Two special invitees of the Vatican are Mother Teresas cardiologist AK Bardhan and his wife Seba, who treat Monica Besra. Besra was reportedly cured by a miracle attributed to the venerated nun, paving the way for her elevation as a saint, reports the Hindustan Times.


Image: A bronze statue of Mother Teresa was installed at the Kolkata Archbishop's house last month to commemorate her 106th birth anniversary.