Pope to visit Mother Teresa birthplace in May
Francis will travel to Bulgaria and visit the Macedonian capital of Skopje.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis will visit Skopje, birthplace of Mother Teresa of Calcutta next May.
The visit, announced today by the Holy See Press Office, is part of a two-day trip to Bulgaria and Macedonia Pope Francis will undertake next year on the invitation of local civil authorities and Catholic Church.
"The Pope will visit the cities of Sofia and Rakovski during the visit to Bulgaria, which will take place on 5-7 May; and on 7 May he will travel to the city of Skopje in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” read the announcement. “Further details of the program for the Apostolic Journey will be announced in due time."
John Paul II had visited Bulgaria in May 2002. On that occasion, he travelled to the capital Sofia as well as the Monastery of St John in Rila.
Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, better known to the world as Mother Teresa, was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje. The city, which is now the capital of Macedonia, was then part of the Ottoman Empire.
In her hometown, Mother Teresa – who is AsiaNews‘s patroness – attended Sacred Heart parish for 14 years.
The city is also where she decided to take her vows and where she gained her first knowledge of India through the letters of some missionaries.
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