"Mother" Theresa: No Decree Needed

   I am not a member of the Roman confession, I am just a Christian. The Roman Church has a long history of corruption, especially in the papacy. The current Roman pontiff appears to be a refreshing exception.  One of the customs of the Roman church I have mixed feelings about is the use of and treatment of the term "Saint". I have no doubt that many of the people declared as saints by the Roman church are deserving of the title and respect.  I also have no doubt that many  Christian Saints are not declared as such by the Vatican. I feel that the customs and practices of the Roman Church with regards to those declared as Saints is too close to regarding them as gods, reflecting the polytheism of ancient Rome.

   Recently much attention  has been given to the one person from the 20th century who is without a doubt a Saint, and was a living Saint for much of her life, "Mother" Teresa.  I had a friend (the late Reverend Edwin P Elliott jr.) who had the privilege of publishing a book by her.  She offered to bless him and his family, and he pointed out that he wasn't  Catholic, to which she replied that it was all in God's name.  She has been criticized for being too concerned about the Roman Church, but Edwin definitely got the impression that she was only concerned about Jesus and His works. I know that Edwin was able to see beyond denominational limits, and trust him on his opinion of this lady  God has declared her a Saint, that's good enough for me.