India lifts block on Mother Teresa charity

 (Photo: Getty/iStock)

The Indian government has reinstated a licence for the charity founded by Mother Teresa, allowing it to once again receive donations from overseas.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950 and it relies heavily on foreign donations to carry out its work among the poor. 

The licence was revoked by India's Ministry of Home Affairs in December - a move that jeopardized its operations.

The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that the charity did not meet the requirements for a licence under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA). 

The decision was widely criticised, with British parliamentarians last week calling for it to be reversed

Vatican News reports that the charity has now been cleared under FCRA rules to continue receiving foreign funding. 

Spokesperson for the charity, Sunita Kumar, told the Union of Catholic Asia News agency she was pleased with the reversal.

"We never expected that our registration could be cancelled but it happened," she said. 

"We are happy that the restoration of our license happened without much delay."

In a debate in the House of Lords last week, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the former Bishop of Oxford, raised concerns about the influence of Hindu nationalism.

He asked the British government to press India on why the licence was withdrawn in the first place.

"The work of Mother Theresa and the charity she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, is renowned throughout the world. It works among some of the poorest and most destitute people on earth," he said.

"What possible reason could the Indian government have for wanting to hinder and block its work?

"The rumour, I am afraid, is that it is continuing pressure from Hindu nationalism, because people might come into contact with Christianity and eventually convert to it.

"We need to know from the Indian government precisely, in writing, what their reasons are so that we can examine the validity of their reasoning."

News
On striving for destiny
On striving for destiny

Hebrew scholar and Jewish academic Irene Lancaster reflects on Numbers, leadership and destiny. 

Divorce at 50-year low despite liberalising reforms
Divorce at 50-year low despite liberalising reforms

The Marriage Foundation has welcomed figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), saying they show that marriages are the strongest they have been for 50 years.

Pope Leo XIV calls for global solidarity with Eastern Churches amid conflict and crisis
Pope Leo XIV calls for global solidarity with Eastern Churches amid conflict and crisis

“How can we think that we are laying the foundations of the future apart from cooperation and a global vision inspired by the common good?"

British media preoccupied with Catholic Church - report
British media preoccupied with Catholic Church - report

A study into media coverage of Christianity in Britain has showed that coverage is more likely to take a negative tone towards the faith and is arguably biased towards coverage of the Roman Catholic Church.