Mother Theresa

Mother Teresa's name and work is internationally recognised.

The community she founded, "The Missionaries of Charity", has grown to more than 500 missionaries operating in over 100 countries.However, although her good deeds were indisputable, Mother Teresa's life was not without controversy.

Her strong views against abortion and divorce, and accusations of taking donations without questioning the sources, have grought her criticism.During the course of her life, Mother Teresa received numerous awards for her humanitarian work, including the 1962 Padma Shri award, the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, and the highest US civilian award, the Medal of Freedom.It is expected that she will proclaimed a saint in five years from her death, a process that normally takes hundreds of years but which is being expedited by Pope John Paul II himself.