'Miracle' criterion for sainthood devalues Teresa work: Group

A leading anti-superstition group today slammed as "unscientific and irrational" the criterion of "two miracles" based on which the Pope has canonised Mother Teresa as a saint, saying the method devalues the social work done by the Nobel peace laureate.
Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) said the yardstick adopted by the Vatican to canonise Mother Teresa is completely "unscientific and irrational".
Pope Francis, who in December last year approved a second miracle attributed to the Noble Prize winner, on Tuesday announced the legendary nun will be declared a saint on September 4.
"When the noble work of Mother Teresa is enough to declare her a saint, the criterion of two miracles is like devaluing her service towards the underprivileged and poor people," Milind Deshmukh, State Secretary of MANS, told reporters here.

After the December announcement, the anti-superstition outfit, founded by noted rationalist late Narendra Dabholkar, had sent a series of letters to the Pope, seeking dropping of the condition of two miracles for canonisation, he said.
"We have not received any response from the Vatican, but we will continue to oppose the method by launching a signature campaign across India and aboard and will appeal to like-minded people and organisations to join us," Deshmukh said and challenged the Vatican to prove the "miracles".

Deshmukh said the anti-blind faith committee has prepared a draft to deal with the menace of social boycott enforced by "caste panchayats" in the state.

Maharashtra government has said it will bring a Bill in the ongoing Budget session to root out evil, outdated and unconstitutional practices of caste and community panchayats.
"We prepared a draft for the Bill by speaking to victims (of social boycott) across the state and listed 41 types of punishment ordered by such panchayats. We have submitted it to the government with a request to pass it in the current session," he said.
MANS has organised a convention here on March 20 to demand that the Bill be fast-tracked and made into a law, Deshmukh added.