Keralite Nun's beatification approved by Vatican

The Vatican has cleared the name of Keralite Nun Rani Maria, who died of 54 stab wounds 22 years ago in Indore, in Madhya Pradesh, for beatification.

Catholic Church sources in Kerala said, Pope Francis has given his approval for the beatification and authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree of the martyrdom of Servant of God, Rani Maria, who was killed in hatred of the faith on Feb 25, 1995.

Beatification is the penultimate stage of the four phased canonisation process followed in the Catholic church. The Nun's cause of canonisation began in 2003 and she was declared 'Servant of God' in 2007.According to Vatican Radio, as part of her beatification process on November 18, 2016, Bishop Chacko Thottumarikal of Indore had supervised the opening of the slain nun's tomb and shifted the mortal remains to a church.

The 41-year-old Nun was stabbed by Samandar Singh inside a bus at Udainagar allegedly at the behest of money lenders affected by the Nun's social work among village women while she was travelling to Indore, enroute to her native place in Kerala.The nun was born on January 29, 1954 at Pulluvazhy, a small village near Kochi.

Maria's family had forgiven Singh, and her younger sister, Nun Selmy had also tied a rakhi and offered words of forgiveness.