Vatican: 'Reasonable' to Think Mother Teresa Made Saint in 2016

A Vatican official says it's too soon to say if Mother Teresa will be made a saint during the 2016 Holy Year of Mercy.

There's been speculation the nun who worked with the destitute and dying in India would be made saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony during the Holy Year, which runs from Dec. 8 till Nov. 20, 2016. The Italian bishops conference daily Avvenire on Wednesday, citing Italian news agency AGI, called Sept. 4 a "probable" date.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi stressed that Francis still needs to approve a miracle attributed to Mother Teresa's intercession before she can become a saint. Lombardi said canonization "would be lovely" and called the possibility she would be made a saint next year a "reasonable hypothesis, desire" by admirers.