Skopje: When Pope Francis canonises Mother Teresa on Sunday, two Balkan countries will be celebrating the sainthood of a woman they both fiercely claim as their own. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in multi-cultural Skopje — then part of the Ottoman Empire and now capital of the Republic of Macedonia — Mother Teresa had an ethnic Albanian mother whose family came from Kosovo. She “always spoke about her Albanian origins and her universal mission,” Zeqo told AFP. “It is unacceptable that Macedonia considers Mother Teresa as the symbol of the nation,” Zajmi said. The Mother Teresa Memorial House, built on the site where she was christened in Skopje, attracts about 500 visitors a day.

Source: Mint September 03, 2016 08:15 UTC