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The licence was revoked by India's Ministry of Home Affairs in December - a move that jeopardized its operations.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He asked the British government to press India on why the licence was withdrawn in the first place.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
Goma experiences revival one year after invasion
Goma experiences revival one year after invasion

Despite great suffering and hardship, God is working.

Is Carney’s Davos sermon the way forward?
Is Carney’s Davos sermon the way forward?

Is there hope? Yes, but it is not in Carney’s Brave New World.

Could stained glass still have a role in modern-day mission?
Could stained glass still have a role in modern-day mission?

There is much biblical truth to be found in stained glass windows for those who look with an enquiring mind.

Anti-ICE protesters who disrupted Cities Church service are arrested and charged
Anti-ICE protesters who disrupted Cities Church service are arrested and charged

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that federal agents arrested three activists involved in an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a worship service last Sunday at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.