Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
New York, Aug 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Mother Teresa who is known across the world as the symbol of love and peace for her unconditional support and service to the poor and needy, would have turned 100 on Thursday had she been alive. In order to celebrate the momentous occasion of her birth centenary, her followers all across the world undertook a number of initiatives to remember Mother Teresa on this special day. While a holy mass was held at the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata to mark her 100th birthday, many of her followers in New York gathered outside the Empire State Building to indulge in an ‘peaceful’ protest against the skyscraper’s decision to refrain from the global celebrations by lighting up the building.

Owing to the owner of the Empire State Building’s decision to stay away from acknowledging Mother Teresa’s birth centenary, a few hundred people congregated outside the iconic skyscraper to express their protest. 77-year-old New York resident James Cagney was one of the demonstrators outside Empire State Building who described the decision of the owner of the building as a ‘crazy idea’ as Mother Teresa was a favorite among everybody.

The controversy was sparked after some Catholics had requested Anthony E. Malkin, the owner of Empire State Building to illuminate the skyscraper with blue and white lights, which are the colors of the order established by Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity. However, Anthony E. Malkin did not quite agree with the initiative that was proposed to celebrate the birth centenary of Mother Teresa as he wished to avoid a precedent of honoring any religious figures.